i LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. I 



Iff. ' V 



wUNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 8 



EEVIEW 



OF THE 

LITERARY HISTORY OF GERMANY, 



FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD 



TO THE 



BEGINNING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



BY 

GUSTAV SOLLING, 

ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY, WOOLWICH, AND THE CHARTER HOUSE, 
LONDON. 




WILLIAMS AND NORGATE, 

14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON; 

AND 

20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH. 
1860. 



TJie rigid of translation is reserved. 



TO THE READER. 



In our essentially prog-ressive ag-e^ the study of 
modern lang-uag*es and foreig-n literature has become 
a necessity^ from the more fi^equent and rapid inter- 
course between nations^ and a duty^ on account of 
the civilizing' consequences accruing- therefrom. 
British authors^ fully comprehending- this^ have of 
late directed their attention to modem literature^ 
and pointed out its merits in a manner and with a 
talent exciting- at once the admiration and gratitude 
of all lovers of mental progTess. It is natural that 
in doing- so^ they should not have forg-otten a litera- 
ture kindred to theirs^ and not inferior to any other 
in mental treasures. Having- witnessed myself in 
this country for some time past the g-rowing- interest 
felt for German literature^ I thoug'ht^ that a review 
of its history, however condensed, might prove 
acceptable to the Eng-lish student. In the g-rouping- 
of the various Eras, I have adopted the plan fol- 
lowed by Dr. Vilmar, in his Literatur Geschichte/' 
and the remarks on the Teutonic invasions have 
been derived from Dr. Latham's excellent Eng-Hsh 
Grammar. The Lay of the Nibelung-en, and other 
leg'ends of the primitive Eras, are g-iven in a neces- 
sarily abridg-ed form; but the literary references 



iv 

accompanying- them may^ I trust, be of advantage 
to the student anxious to extend his knowledg-e on 
the subject. I have for obvious reasons abstained 
from having- my work revised by more experienced 
hands, and claim on this account, as a foreigner, the 
reader's kind indulg-ence for any sty Hstic imperfec- 
tions contained therein. May it prove useful to 
the student of German literature. 

Woolwich, Jan. 1860. 



CONTENTS. 







PAGE 


Sumniary of the liiterary History of Grermaiiy 


1- 


- 34 


T*]arliftat PptioA . . ... 


34- 


- 42 




42- 


- 64 


OthftT* TiPP'PTifls of tlifi 'nrimitivfi "Rraa 


64- 


- 78 


Ap.stliptip T^optrv ^T^fliJi TTiiTia^pnos^ 

XJLV/O ui_LVy L'i.V' JL. \J\^\Jl.y I .X-/CVO -LA. LLXJIO U\.^ 1-/ f • • • 


79- 


- 99 


The Minstrels 


100- 


—109 


Legends about Animals (Thiersage) 


110- 


-112 




112- 


-116 


The Mastersingers, Hans Sachs .... 


116- 


-118 


The Eeformation, Martin Luther 


118- 


-121 


Eine feste Burg ist unser Grott (Hymn) 


121- 


-122 


Of the Eesurrection of the Dead, a Sermon by Dr. 






Martin Luther, with interlineal translation 


123- 


-133 


The^Yolkslied" 


133- 


-135 


Concluding remarks ...... 


136- 


-138 


Alphabetical List of Authors .... 


139- 


-152 



SUMMARY 



OF THE 

LITEEAEY HISTOEY OF GEEMANY. 



The German is one of the oldest^ purest^ and 
most cultivated of modern languag'es ; yielding* to 
none in force and perspicuity^ it excels many in 
richness, and if I may use the term, in adaptability. 
Klopstock, our immortal writer, in alluding* to these 
qualities so strikingly inherent in our lang-uag-e, truly 
and patriotically exclaims : 

Dass keine, welcte lebt, mit Deutschlands Sprache sich 

In den zu kiihnen "Wettstreit wage, 

Sie ist damit ich's kurz, mit ihrer Kraft es sage, 

An mannigfalt'ger XJranlage zu iminer neuer, 

Und doch deutscher Wendung reich 

Ist, was wir selbst, vor grauen Jahren 

Da Tacitus uns forschte waren, 

G-esondert, ungemisclit und nur sich selber gleich ! 

Like the nation, our language grew up slowly, 
for exterior unfavoiu'able circumstances frequently 
impeded and checked its more rapid development. 

Its history, from the earliest to the present time, 
spreads over a space of about two thousand years. 
Let us, therefore, in order to survey its development 
more clearly, divide it into seven periods, and sub- 
divide them again into two parts, so that the first 
four will form the history of the ancienty^nd the last 

B 



2 



fhree that of our modern literature • the beginning 
of the sixteenth century^ or of the Reformation^ being- 
thus the boundary. 

For the knowledg-e of the history of the first pe- 
riod^ called the Germanic-Gothic^ dating- from the 
first appearance of German tribes^ about one hundred 
years before till 768 after Christy we are exclusively 
indebted to Grecian and Eoman authors. Accord- 
ing- to them, and recent philolog-ical researches fully 
bear out this assertion^ the German langfuag-e is that 
of an ancient powerful race^ divided into different 
tribes^ which at a very remote ag-e emig-rating- from 
the upper part of Asia^ spread over the northern 
and central part of Europe and settled there. The 
word " deutsch/' derives from the Gothic thiuda/^ 
dioty^ diet^' which means belong-ing- to the peo- 
ple.'^ The Germanians^ or men of arms^ were a 
mig-hty tribe living on the borders of the Bhine and 
Danube^ and formidably known for their prowess and 
warlike virtues even to the Romans. 

In proportion as the Teutonic races spread over 
the provinces of Western Europe^ the Romanic lan- 
guag-C; a mixture of Roman and German^ was cre- 
ated and spoken in Spain^ Italy, France^ and the 
Britannic Empire^ whilst the German retained its 
primitive character in those parts situated between 
the Elbe and Rhine, the Alps and Germanic Ocean. 

At this primitive ag-e^ we notice already a dis- 
tinction of dialects among- the Teutonic tribes^ the 
upper German^ called " oberdeutsch/' spoken in the 



3 



south^ and the lower German, niederdeutsch/' in 
the north of Germany. The former, in which the 
consonants are pronounced fuller and broader, pre- 
vails now in the Tyrol, Salzburg*, Austria, Bavaria, 
Suabia, southern Franconia and Switzerland ; the 
latter, which is more soft and more free of all 
hissing* sounds, is spoken along* the Lower Rhine, 
Westphaha, Hanover, in ancient Lower Saxon}^, 
Holstein, Mecklenburg*, Pomerania, Brandenburg*, 
&c. A medium between these principal dialects 
forms the middle-g*erman, extending* from Silesia, 
Lusatia, to Saxony, Thuringia, the Hartz moun- 
tains, northern Franconia, and Hesse. The ancient 
Germans possessed at that time already their na- 
tional song's, which they repeated on festive occasions, 
previous to battle, or in commemoration of their 
fallen heroes j song's which were transmitted by 
tradition from one g'eneration to another, the know- 
ledg*e of written characters, called Eunen,^^ having* 
but imperfectly spread among- them. 

We possess remains of these battle song's in 
the Icelandic " Edda,'' for the Scandinavian races, 
Swedes, Danes, Norweg-ians and Icelanders, are of 
German descent, and the latter were already ac- 
quainted with the rhyme long* before it was known 
to the Arabs. 

The g-reat emigration of nations of the fourth and 
fifth centuries, and ultimately the spread of the 
Christian rehg'ion, g-ave the first impulse to the men^ 
tal development of the Germans, and was carried 



4 



still farther throug-h the laudable exertions of " ITl- 
filas/' a bishop of the ancient Moeso-Goths, (now 
Wallachians) (360—380). 

He invented new characters for writing*^ and 
translated scriptural texts into Gothic^ thus erecting 
the most ancient monument of our literature^ still 
in existence. 

Of the few literary productions of this early a^e 
we mention some Bibhcal writing's of the monk 
Kero^ and pay our tribute of admiration to Boni- 
facius (Winfred of Essex) living- from 7 14-754^ whose 
noble exertions are deserving* of the highest praise. 
He selected central Germany for the field of his 
labour, and the cause of religion and learning" never 
possessed a more zealous champion. 

When however dissensions and wars beg*an to pre- 
vail throug-hout Teutonic Europe, our languag*e be- 
came utterly neglected. The East Gothic empire, 
founded by the mighty Theodoric, had after the death 
of that great warrior crumbled to pieces, the civil war 
raging among the Franks, during the reign of the 
Merovingians, had weakened their empire, the 
Western Goths had been obliged to retire to the 
northern part of Spain, when the Arabs in the eighth 
ieentury had invaded that country, so that the last 
traces of the Teutonic language remained only in 
those British provinces invaded during the 5th cen- 
tury by the various Teutonic tribes. I trust that it 
will not be deemed a digression on my part, if I for 
a moment allude to those invasions, a s^ibject, the 



5 



importance of which Britons will appreciate^ when 
they remember that their history^ their lang-uag-e^ 
their very existence as a nation^ are lastmgly identi- 
fied with these Teutonic invasions* 

They were made at six different periods^ and pro- 
ceeded from the sea coast of Northern Germany^ 
principally fi:'om that line of country situated be- 
tween the Eyder and the Rhine^ from the provinces 
of Jutland; Sleswick^ Holstein^ Friesland^ and 
Westphaha. 

The first invasion made by the Jutes^ under the 
leadership of Heng-ist and Horsa, took place in the 
year 449^ at Ebbsfleet in the Isle of Thanet ; the 
Jutes ultimately established the kingdom of Kent^ 
which was the first district where the orig'inal British 
lang-uage was superseded by the mother tongue of 
the present Eng"lish introduced from Germany. 

The Jutes also settled in various parts of Sussex 
and in the Isle of Wig-ht^ but we possess no histo- 
rical data respecting* their appearance in those places. 

The second; made by the Saxons under their 
leader "Ella/' took place in the year 477; on the 
coast of Sussex. The Saxons estabhshed the king-- 
dom of the South Saxons (Sussex); and ultimately 
under their chief " CerdiC;^' extended their sway over 
Dorsetshire; Hampshire; WiltS; part of Somerset; 
part of Devonshire; part of Surrey; Gloucestershire; 
Oxfordshire; Berkshire and Bucking-hamshire. 

The third; also made by the Saxons under their 
leader " Cerdic;'' took place in the year 495. They 



6 



landed on the coast of Hampshire^ and established 
the kingdom of the West Saxons (Wessex). 

The Saxons made a fourth invasion in the year 
530^ landed in Essex^ and established their supre- 
macy in Middlesex and parts of Hertfordshire. 

The fifth^ the precise date of which is not known, 
was made by the Angles, during- the reign of Cerdic 
in Wessex, they gradually extended their dominion 
into Cambridgeshire, the Isle of Ely, and parts of 
Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. 

The sixth and last settlement was made by the 
Angles under their chief Ida," in the year 547. 
The landing was effected in the eastern counties of 
Scotland, between the rivers Tweed and Forth ^ they 
ultimately extended their dominion over Northum- 
berland, Westmoreland, Cumberland, Cheshire, Lan- 
cashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and the north 
midland counties. 

In proportion as the sway of the invaders was 
permanently established, the British language was 
superseded in the various districts by that of the 
invaders, with the exception of Cumberland, where 
it was still spoken in the tenth century, of Cornwall, 
where it lingered on under the reign of Queen 
EHzabeth, and in W^les, where it exists up to the 
present time j yet the fact of the original British 
language disappearing in almost all cases from the 
districts where the settlements had taken place, 
proves convincingly how firmly and effectually the 
conquerors exercised their ascendancy over the con- 



7 



quered^ and how formidable must have been the 
moral and physical influence of a race^ that could 
effect such a result in comparatively so short a 
time. 

I mention this subject^ bearing* more especially on 
British history^ in order to show what extraordinary 
efforts were required on the part of the great Alfred 
to build with these Teutonic chaotic elements that 
noble building called Britannia^ which^ althoug-h 
standing- on a sound basis^ wanted yet the light of 
heaven^ religion/' ultimately diffused throughout 
the heathen edifice^ thanks to the great exertions of 
that immortal king. 

We proceed now to the second period^ called the 
Franconian^ from Charlemagne to the Suabian Em- 
perors^ from 768 to 1187; during which our language, 
owing to the lively interest bestowed upon it by the 
great Charles, improved considerably. History, I 
am afraid, has not adequately appreciated the exer- 
tions of the man, whose master-mind could conceive 
and carry out reforms, at once so sweeping and 
useful, under such circumstances ; for Charlemagne's 
chief merit does not consist so much in having ac- 
comphshed great things, but in having accomplished 
them at a period when all was dark around him. The 
light which dispelled that mental darkness was in 
him, radiated from him, and was diffused through 
him. 

He evinced on every occasion the lively interest 



8 



he took m the culture of the German lang'uag'e^ by 
having it taught in schools^ used in the pulpit and 
in all judicial transactions. In conjunction with the 
learned of the age, he collected the nation's old laws 
and songs, and it is even said, that he wrote a Ger- 
man Grammar. 

His son, Ludwig der Fromme," and still more 
his grandson, Ludwig der Deutsche,^' followed the 
noble example of their ancestor, and the treaty of 
"Verdun (843), between the latter and Charles the 
Bald, in rendering Germany a separate empire, con- 
tributed at the same time to the development of 
her literature. 

Then followed the Franconian kings, who did but 
little, and other adverse circumstances combined to 
impede and arrest the mental progress of the age. 
Among these impediments we mention the wars 
carried on during the reign of the Saxon and Fran- 
conian emperors, the struggles sustained against 
Greeks, Normans, and Hungarians, the inroads of 
the Slaves, who had extended their dominion as far 
as the Elbe, the inveterate hostility shown by the 
Itahans to everything German, and lastly, the coun- 
teracting and blighting influence of the hierarchy 
founded during the reign of Hildebrand. Under 
that of Henry I. (919) and of the succeeding kings 
of the Saxon house, the light gradually reappeared^ 
commerce began to spread, and the prosperity of the 
nation increased ; for at all times we find a nation's 
material welfare invariably connected with its mental 



w 

development^ the exchange of matter leading* to the 
exchang-e of ideas. 

The most important writings we possess of this 
ag^e are in the ancient high German language. Of 
poetical productions^ we mention a fragment of the 
song of Hildebrand (^^ Hildebrandlied"), the prayer 
of Weissenbrunn (Weissenbrunner Gebet) of the 
8th century^ also Das Ludwigslied/' and Otfried's 
Four Evangelists of the 9th century. Of prose 
works : a translation of the Psalms by Notker^ a 
monk of St. Gallen^ and Willeram's explanation of 
the Song of Solomon. The most learned men of 
the age were Alcuin^ Paul Warnefrid^ Eginhard^ 
all contemporaries of Charlemagne^ Rhabanus Mau- 
rus^ a zealous promoter of education^ Dietmar^ Ger- 
bert (ultimately Pope Sylvester II.) and also the 
Latin poetess Rosswitha. 

And now we approach a period of our literary 
history^ perhaps the most proHfic^ and certainly the 
most romantic and poetical^ that of the Suabian 
Minstrels (Minnesangers)^ from the Suabian Empe- 
rors to the founding of the first German Universities 
(1137—1348). 

Under Henry III. the first of the Hohenstaufen^ 
who in the year 1137 mounted the German imperial 
throne^ the more refined Suabian^ Alemannic dialect 
prevailed at Court^ and among the educated of Ger- 
many ; then followed in rapid succession a number 
of events highly calculated to develop and sustain 
the mental life of our nation ; chivalry with its 



10 



romantic aspirations^ the glorious ag^e of the Crusades 
with its lofty enthusiasm and noble deeds_, the stirring- 
example of the minstrels of the south of France^ the 
Troubadours/' whose cultivated minds and more 
refined manners could not but exercise the most 
beneficial^ the most refining* influence on our more 
uncouth northern bards ; the increasing- prosperity 
of the nation^ result of the cultivation of the soil and 
the spread of commerce^ all these combined influences 
developed the mental prog-ress of an ag^e^ which we 
call with pridC; ^^das Bliithenalter^^' of our early 
Hterature. 

And here we must mention how the most mig-hty 
and noble^ the lovely and beautiful of the land en- 
courag-ed and fostered this all-absorbing- taste for 
poetry^ with what ardour they cultivated it them- 
selves_, and how much the example thus g-iven^ by 
elevating- the mind and filling the heart with sublime 
conceptions^ contributed to the accomplishment of 
those noble deeds^ with which that splendid ag-e of 
romance^ love^ and poetry so gloriously abounds. 

Henry VI. Conrad IV. King- Wentzel of Bohe- 
mia^ Margrave Otto of Brandenburg-^ J ohn of Bra- 
bant; Henry of Meissen^ and Anhalt^ Heinrich von 
Veldeck; Hartmann von der Aue^ Wolfram von 
Eschenbach; Eeinmar der Alte^ Nicolaus KHng-sohr^ 
Walter von der Vog-elweide^ Gottfried von Strass- 
burg-; and a host of others, cultivated the noble field 
of poetry, which under the Emperor Frederic II. 
1215 — 1250, attained its hig-hest cultivation. Glori- 



11 



ous time of the Minne/^* beautiful dream of the 
past — gone^ never to return ! 

There are words so identified with a nation^s 
character and its most cherished traditions^ that 
they cannot be adequately translated into a foreign 
language. This has been said^ and truly said^ of the 
English word home f it applies with equal force 
to the German Minne." In uttering the word 
*^home/' Englishmen associate it in their minds 
with ever3^thing hallowed by time^ with the bygone 
days of happy childhood^ with the tender affections 
of the hearty with the domestic hearth^ with domestic 
bereavements^ with joy and grief, with that some- 
thing which neither time nor age can obliterate 
from our recollection^ the remembrance of which 
sheds rays of bliss into the soul^ and follows us even 
unto the grave. Sweet home^ which a stranger in a 
strang'e land appreciates the more^ the more he is 
deprived of its hallowed influences. Now, what 
" home" is to the Enghsh, Minne" is to us. It is 
the poetry, the reflection, the echo, the language of 
nature, its smile and frown, for in Minne we see 
typified the budding of vernal flowers and sweet 
early love, the budding of the heart, autumn's 
withered and scattered leaves, and the heart's 
blig^hted hopes, the rise of God's glorious sun, and 
the dawn of our own aspii'ations, its setting and the 
vanishing of the dreams of our youth. " Minne" 
is spring and winter, joy and grief, serene and 



"Minne/' in its primitive sense, means "in remembrance of." 



12 



stormy^ elevated and refined^ it is the liomag-e paid 
to virtue, beauty, and loveliness, it belongs to an 
ag-e of lofty aspirations and noble deeds, to the age 
of romance and poetry 3 yes, " Minne" is refreshing 
like the breeze of heaven, the sweetest blossom of the 
loving German heart, for it is deep, true, and pure ! 

The authors of some of the most remarkable 
poems of that period, including that of the great 
Lay of the Nibelungen are unknown. The Cru- 
sades having, as already stated, exercised so be- 
neficial an influence on the intellectual life of the 
Germans, we must not wonder that when they 
ceased, when the tree had lost its life-sustaining sap, 
it should also have shown signs of decay : and so it 
was ! After the death of Frederic II. (1215), refined 
intellectual life ceased in Germany 5 poetry, hitherto 
occupying so lofty a position, descended step by 
step to become a trade, a handicraft ^ the pure 
flame of exalted enthusiasm and refinement grew 
dimmer and dimmer, poetry had lost its poetry ! 

We have now arrived at the fourth period, that 
of the Meistersangers," the prosaical age of our 
literature, and before our vision passes the middle 
age, with its strong castles, lynch law (Fau- 
strecht), its tournaments and gallant knights, 
its high born and lovely dames — the middle age, 
with its bishops, monks, religious processions, its 
convents, a retreat for those who after the storms 
of war wished to spend the rest of their lives 
in pious contemplations, combatants of a diffe- 
rent kind, whose chief was the Most High, whose 



13 

sword — prayer^ whose buckler — faith; and whose vic- 
tory — heaven I The middle age with its honourable^ 
loyal; and peace-loving* citizens; its fine arts^ pros- 
perous merchants^ trade, commerce^ and Hanseatic 
towns ; the age when a WyclifF and Huss struck the 
first blow ag-ainst Papal power^ and the humble monk 
of Wittenberg- destroyed what there still remained of 
its prestig-e 3 the ag-e of Luther^ at once the reformer 
of religion and the reg-enerator of our lang-uage^ who 
erected at this period (1534); by the translation of the 
Bible into German^ a literary monument which will 
last as long* as the name of German literature shall 
be appreciated by his g*rateful countrymen. It was 
the ag*e when a new world (America) was discovered 
(1492); when universities; always the nurseries of 
the mind; were founded; and by the great discovery 
of the art of printing* (1440) means were found to 
multiply the products of the mind and spread them 
broad cast over the nation. The ag*e when Con- 
stantinople was taken (1453); and in consequence 
of the forced emig*ration of learned Greeks to Italy; 
the splendid tree of southern HteraturC; fine artS; and 
science was transplanted into the soil of western 
Europe; where it could g-roW; shoot forth new budS; 
expand; and g*ive shelter to those anxious to live 
under its benig'n and fostering* influence. 

From this time also dates the first appearance of 
newspapers and the introduction of postal communi- 
cation in Germany; a gTeat boou; for which we are 
indebted to the enlig-htened Maximilian I. (1516); 



14 



who^ a great promoter of learning* himself^ wrote 
several essays and laid the foundation for a historical 
work^ subsequently published by his secretary^ von 
Ehrentreitz^ and containing- Maximilian's own his- 
tory and that of his father^ Frederic III. Among* 
the meistersing-ers^ Hans Sachs^ the far-famed cob- 
ler of Nuremberg', occupies the most prominent 
place. Spervogel, Albrecht von Eybe^ Veit Weber^ 
Conrad von Queinfurt^ Hans Rosenbliit_, Volz^ &c. 
&c. deserve also to be mentioned. Towards the latter 
part of the 15th century satirical writing's^ in which 
the defects of the times were alluded to in withering 
terms^ became the order of the day. " Eeinecke 
Fuchs/' by Baumann, and Das Narrenschiff/' by 
Brandt^ occupy the most prominent place among* the 
latter. 

^^The Meisterg-esang*," of the orig-in of which 
nothing* positive is known, had its principal seats in 
the towns of Mayence^ Niiremberg*, Memming*en^ 
Colmar, and Ulm. Its members, a corporate body 
of citizens, representing* the various trades and 
handicrafts, met after the day^s work at their clubs, 
for the purpose of practising* there the noble art of 
rhyming. Their poetical effusions, thoug*h deficient 
in elegance and refinement_, truthfully depict those 
qualities for which the German citizens of that age 
were distinguished. Virtue, morahty, contentment^ 
concord are reflected therein. It was the custom to 
display on Sundays a large board, called ^^Die 
Schultafel," which announced that in the afternoon^ 



15 



oftet service^ the singing' club was to meet in order 
to comment on the respective merits of the songs 
composed during* the week. A select committee^ 
whose decision was final^ w^as then appointed ^ it con- 
sisted of the chairman (g*emerk)^ supported by the 
cashier (biichsenmeister)^ the administrator (schliis- 
selmeister)^ the head marker (merkmeister),the crown- 
master (kronmeister). Near the merkmeister stood 
the " merkers^'^ that is to say, the judg-es. The prize 
consisted either of a wreath of flowers or some more 
precious g'em, always kept as an heirloom by the 
handicraft to which the successful candidate respec- 
tively belong'ed. In the more populous and wealthy 
towns a great number of these prize g'ems were 
always kept in readiness 5 such a gem was called 
kleinod/' and it was considered a great honour to 
obtain it. The schliisselmeister was entrusted with 
the keeping of a large book, into which the best 
songs were carefully entered. Such were the harm- 
less pre-occupations of the German handicraftsmen 
of those times, in every respect so conducive to the 
cause of morality and temperance. The era of the 
Meistergesang lasted several centuries it flourished 
most in the 16th, and ceased about the middle 
of the 18th. It was subject to the most rigid 
and pedantic regulations, thirty-two of which alone 
related to the various modes of punishment. Very 
httle attention was paid to the rules of prosody, 
provided every thing was in uniformity with the 
statutes, orderly, neat, and tradesmanlike. Their 



16 



stanzaS; like those of the Minnesingers^ were divided 
into three parts^ each of which contained sometimes 
a hundred rhymes. The most fantastic names were 
g-iven to the different styles of rhyming*^ besides the 
red and blue rhyme^ there existed a streaked saffron 
flower^ and red nut blossom style^ also the warm 
winter^ Eng-lish tin^ yellow lionskin^ short monkey^ 
and fat badger styles. 

Diametrically opposed to the Meistergesang" was 
the Volkslied^ the hearty^ unfettered^ unadorned^ vi- 
gorous expression of the people^s sentiments^ of their 
weal and woe ^ its origin dates from the 14th cen- 
tury; it increased during the 15th^ and reached its 
culminating point in the 16th century. The " Volks- 
lied/' like all the epic poems of antiquity, represents 
that which really existed, Simphcity of style and 
truthful delineation of characters and events consti- 
tute its chief merit. A considerable number of the 
^' Volkslieder'' are love^ farewell^ and drinking songs^ 
as for instance the well known ; 

"Warum bist du denn so traurig, 

Bin icli aller Preude voll ? 

Meinst ich sollte dich vergessen, 

Du gefallst mir gar zu wohl 

Laub und Grras, das mag verwelken, 

Aber treue Liebe nicht 

Kommst mir zwar aua meinen Augen, 

Aber aus dem Herzen nicht* 

Also the beautiful song : 

So viel Stern' am Himmel steben^ 
An dem blauen guldenen Zelt. 



17 



and so many others which have been lasting-ly 
engraved on the German heart. Our most eminent 
poets^ Herder^ Gothe^ Biirg-er^ have larg-ely drawn 
from the Volkslied^ and their best lyric productions 
are founded on this essentially national basis. The 
didactic poems of this age bear the s-ame popular 
character ; dramatic poetry, originally of a religious 
tendency^ dates also from this period. At first the 
history of the life and suffering's of Christ were eead 
by persons representing' the Apostles, high priests^ 
or men alluded to in Scripture ; ultimately the cos- 
tume was added^ and finally these biblical events 
were pubHcly acted, the lang-uag-e used was the 
Latin, the theatre the church. These relig-ious dis- 
plays, at first of a very sober and solemn character, 
degenerated afterwards into the more worldly, and 
far too worldly Oster and Fastnachtsspiele" (Easter 
and Carnival plays), not always of the purest 
description. 

During the fifth period^ towards the end of the 
16th and throughout the 17th century, poetical 
life remained dormant in Germany. The argu- 
mentative warfare about the affairs of the Churchy 
then carried on exclusively in the Latin lan- 
guage, required certainly a great amount of clas- 
sical learning and erudition, but was by no means 
beneficial to the development of our national 
literature. This neglect of our own language origi- 
nated at our universities, where the study^of Ger- 
man was not attended to^ the pedantry of the age 

c 



18 



attaching' more importance to the' dead lang-uag-es ; 
a ^reat mistake^ for the mental comhat carried on 
between the chosen few remained thus barren to 
the people at larg-e ; moreover^ by excluding- them 
from discussions involving* their vital interests^ the 
prog-ress of civilization and of civil liberty was 
arrested. When Luther appeared^ Germany in a 
political sense stood very low ; full of interior re- 
sources^ it did not know how to develop them. 
Its constitution was but a chaos. The relations of 
the various princes to the chief of the empire had, 
it is true, been clearly defined by the Golden Bull 
in 1356, yet no one was there to decide legally 
in case of any differences arising* between these 
princes. Every thing* depended on the g-reater or 
lesser influence exercised by the chief of the state. 
During* the long* reig'n of Frederic III., who for 
more than half a century (1420-1492) had been 
sleeping* on the throne, this influence had almost dis- 
appeared, and Maximiliam I., though in many re- 
spects a useful reformer, had increased it but httle. 
Unfortunately, not one among* these princes pos- 
sessed sufiicient g-enius or energy to shake ofl* this 
letharg-ical condition ; they were leading* a contem- 
plative life, and their chief possessed more the habits 
of an extensive landholder than that of the ruler of 
a g-reat empire. They met at their Diet more by 
way of routine than for the dispatch of business, and 
let it be admitted that Max showed in this respect 
much ^gularity, especially when he wanted to re- 



plenish his exchequer. In fact; had it not been for 
the TurkS; the inveterate enemies of Christendom^ 
who had estabhshed themselves in Eastern Europe^ 
and whose inroads had to be resisted anyhow^ the 
German empire would probably have accomplished 
at that time its own dissolution. It was the Refor- 
mation^ and nothing* but the Eeformation^ which 
instilled new life into that drowsy body^ and g-ave to 
Germany the political importance which it has main- 
tained ever since. Considered in this lig'ht; all the 
strife and bloodshed accompanying* this g'reat era 
must be looked upon as the necessary means towards 
jfche attainment of a g-reat end. Martin Luther and 
TJlrich von Hutten entered now the arena to fight 
the battle of relig-ious liberty with the sword of 
speech; mit dem Schwerdte der Rede/' and the final 
victory showed how these champions had fought. 
In order to act on the masses^ it had now become 
essential to address them in their vernacular lan- 
guage ; this developed the oratorical and didactic 
style; and kindled a sense for free discussions^ so 
conducive to religious and civil liberty. 

But gradually a gloom began to spread over Ger- 
many's literary horizon f the storm then raging in 
the physical world had extended to the intellectual 
regions in spite of the noble exertions of an OpitZ; 
Logau; CanitZ; and Flemming. In proportion as the 
thirty years' war extended; when bloodthii^ty Van- 
dals trampled under foot the seeds of German fields;^^ 
spreading unutterable woe and misery over our 

c 2 



20 



Fatherland^ the fields of intellect were also neglected^ 
and wherever healthy plants had grown before weeds 
were now springing* up. Yes, this sixth period was 
the time of Germany's intellectual degradation^ for 
a nation degrades itself morally and intellectually ' 
when^ forgetting its own dignity^ it bows to that 
which is foreign, not because it is superior^ but 
because it is foreign. It was indeed a strange phe- 
nomenon to see the German nation^ not inferior to 
any other in mental solidity and depth, offer its 
servile adulations to the literature of the foreigner. 

Towards the end of the 17th century it had be- 
become fashionable to mix foreio^n words with our 
own, and even to alienize our grammatical con- 
struction. The Trench poets of the Provence, the 
Troubadours, had been deservedly imitated by our 
own bards at a time when they were our superiors 
in point of elegance of manners^ and in all the 
refinements of social life, but now the Gallomania 
exceeded all bounds. During the reign of Louis 
Quatorze, the age par excellence of refinement^ num- 
bers of Germans had flocked to the capital of the 
Grand Monarque, and on their return introduced 
their mixed phraseology and questionable French 
among us. It was no longer distingue to speak one's 
own language. Several literary societies, formed 
towards the middle of the 17th century, had already 
exerted themselves with more goodwill than success 
to counteract this anti-national tendency, of which 
writers like Hofmannswaldau,'^ Lohenstein/' 



21 



Neukirch/' and consorts^ were the unworthy and 
unpafriotic representatives. We can name but very 
few who at this period of mental dearth acquired 
literary distinction ; among' them were the writers of 
church hymns : Andreas Gryphius^ Johann Rist^ 
Neumark; Gerhard^ and Dach^ also the satirical 
writers Rachel; and Wernike. It was only at the 
beginning' of the 18th century that a more healthy 
tone beg-an to pervade our literature^ thanks to the 
exertions of a Thomasius^ Leibnitz^ Wolf^ and Haller^ 
who cleared as well as possible our literary Augean 
stable of those foreign elements^ which pervade even 
now some of our modern writing's. About this 
timC; two writers of eminence^ Johann Jacob Bod- 
mer;" and Christoph Godsched/' began their cele- 
brated and long'-sustained literary controversy^ the 
former livino- at Ziii'ich belono-ed to the Swiss 
school; the latter to that of Leipzig-. Bodmer; the 
first who translated Milton's Paradise Lost" into 
German; was a great admirer of English literature; 
whilst Godsched offered his adulations to that of 
France. This war of the pen lasted for a consider- 
able timC; two parties^ the Bodmeranians and Gods- 
chedians w^ere formed; and the contest only ceased 
after Haller had thrown in his mental weio'ht in 
favour of Bodmer; a great gain for Germany; because 
it led to the study of the great English writers; and 
exercised subsequently a ver}^ salutary influence on 
our own national literature. Godsched has generally 
and deservedly been condemned for his pedantry and 



22 



vaporous style^ yet however little we may admire 
his poetical^ oratorical and stylistic efforts^ thanks 
are due to him for his efforts to raise our lang-uage^ 
then in a most neg"lected state^ to something* hke a 
classical height. A most erudite theorist^ he wanted 
the tact and skilly perhaps the refined feeling- to g-ive 
utterance to his conceptions^ in a manner to win^ 
please and convince his readers. 

At last a turning" point in our literature had ar- 
rived; the clouds beg-an to break^ the lig"ht reappeared; 
and that lig-ht was Klopstock. It was hig-h time 3 
he had a g-reat mission before him^ he nobly ful- 
filled it. German in heart and mind^ his words like 
electric sparks shook the whole national frame^ in- 
fusing* into it a fresh spirit. For more than two 
centuries that spirit had been dormant. Writers^ 
in endeavouring* to mimic the sublime st3de of the 
Greek and Roman classics^ noble reflection of a 
g'reat and glorious ag-e^ had only succeeded in intro- 
ducing* an empty phraseology into our own languag*e^ 
then the mirror of the nation's intellectual degTada- 
tion. Klopstock^ the German Homer^ as Menzel 
calls him^ now became the g'reat reformer of that 
long* neglected language. The exalted principles he 
represented as defender of the cause of religion and 
humanity^ his innate piety, sincerity^ and spotless 
life were qualities by which, independently of his 
great mental faculties^ he gained an additional 
hold on the heart and mind of the German nation. 
His genius shone brightly in his immortal work^ 



23 



The Messias/' and still more in his Odes^ such 
as Wing'olf/' Ode to Fanny/' Herrman and 
Thusnelda/' in which his style appears in all its 
vigour and beauty. Even his opponents must admit 
that Klopstock's mental labours exercised a most 
beneficial influence on the literature of the 18th cen- 
tury^ that he was as it were the literary sun^ re- 
appearing* at last to develope by its benig-n rays 
those poetical g-erms which during- so long* a winter 
had remained dormant in the German soil^ and 
which were now to spring up and produce so splendid 
a harvest. 

The political events of the day assisted likewise 
in this mental development, the giorious deeds of 
Frederic the Great, in raising* patriotic feelings, also 
led to mental exertions, although Prussia's great 
king personally did very little for our literature, his 
predilections being* more in favour af that of France* 
Mental life was now sustained in the various literary 
clubs, one of which had been formed at Halle and 
Halberstiidt under the auspices of Gleim. The 
views propounded by its members, amang* whom we 
mention Jacobi, K. Schmidt, Uz, Ramler and Louise 
Karsch, were opposed to those of Klopstock and Gel- 
lert, whose writings bore a more solemn character. 
The former having* taken Anacreon for their proto- 
type, considered the enemies of rational enjoyment 
to be also those of virtue, a truism acknowledged by 
all those, who, with the experience of the worid^ 
possess a knowledge of the human heart. 



24 



Gleim^ as already stated^ was the principal fig-ure 
in this g-roup, not so much on account of his literary 
as for his personal merits. Among^ his poems we 
mention ^^Halladad/^ and "Lieder eines Grenadiers/' 
Kleist; the g-ifted author of Der Friihling-/' was one 
of Gleim's oldest and truest friends^ he died the death 
of a hero at the battle of Kunnersdorf. 

One of the most disting-uished writers of the 18th 
century^ to whom we owe the reg^eneration of our 
lang'uag'e; was Gotthold Ephraim Lessing-^born in the 
year 1729. The immense results he obtained in the 
sphere of literature we admire the more^ when we 
remember the neg'lected state in which he found it^ 
and what Herculean efforts were required to strug^g-le 
throug'h that lab3^rinth of obstacles^ throug-h those 
foreig-n influences^ which had bewildered so many of 
his predecessors, and deprived our literature of its 
most essential^ its national character. He threw 
the lig-ht of his g-enius into that chaos^ his immense 
erudition made him find out and destroy the weeds 
wherever they appeared on the literary fields of 
Germany. A profound philolog-ist and acute critic, 
he soon saw what was wanted, with a rare flexibility 
of mind, and the most indefatig'able zeal he devoted 
himself to the study of almost every branch of know- 
ledg-e, and earned distinction in all. To a precision 
and clearness of expression, sure to g-o home to the 
conviction of his readers, he joined the most wither- 
ing- sarcasm, with which he unsparing-ly attacked 
and laid bare the moral defects of his contemporaries. 



25 



He was at once a profound theologian^ an earnest in- 
quirer of antiquities^ fabulist^ historian^ dramatic and 
aesthetic writer^ and by this astounding* versatihty^ 
combined with the utmost soundness and depth of 
learning"^ he gained that preponderating* influence on 
contemporaries^ hke Nicolai^Eamler^Gleim^ Mendels- 
sohn^ Weisse^ Eng*el^ Garve^and others. His products^ 
among- which we name his antiquarian letters/' his 
^^Laokoon/^ Nathan der Weise/^ Minna von 
Barnhelm/^ Emiha Galotti f his numerous fables 
and critical essays are disting-uished for an acuteness^ 
depth^ wit^ and purity of style unsurpassed even in 
our da^^s. 

In the year 1772^ a number of young- and ardent 
poets created the celebrated Gotting-er Club/' follow- 
ing* thus the example set by other associations in other 
parts of Germany. The object of this " Gottinger 
Dichterbund/' also called " Hainbund/' was to pro- 
mote literary pursuits^ especially poetry^ among- its 
members^ who were in the habit of meeting- every Sa- 
turday^ for the purpose of discussing- the merits of the 
poems written during* the week. In order to be a 
member of that club; it was essential to lead the most 
spotless life ] the cause of vii'tue and morahty gained 
consequently much by such associations. The most dis- 
ting-uished poets of Germany belong-ed to the Hain- 
bund;'' among' them Voss^ Holty^ Biirg-er^ Hahn^ 
Miller, "Wehrs, the two Counts Stolberg-^ and Leise- 
witz. Klopstock ultimately joined it^ but Biirg-er 
was, from the very beginning-, the most prominent 



26 



figure of this poetical group. Some of his most 
celebrated ballads were written at this time^ such as 

Leonore/' Der wilde Jager/' Das Lied vom 
braven Mann/' Der Kaiser und Abt/' Die 
Weiber von Weinsberg*/^ Des Pfarrers Tochter 
von Taubenhain/' etc. Biirger's poems are distin- 
guished for their graceful flow of language^ purity 
of diction^ graphic and essentially popular style, 
which has gained them a degree of popularity un- 
surpassed in the literary history of any nation. 

We have now arrived at the seventh, the roman- 
tic and classical period, the golden age of our 
literature, the shore end of that literary cable, 
which, running through its seven periods, con- 
centrated the nation's mental fluid, principally in 
the last. The age of Herder, Homer's and Shake- 
speare's worthy disciple, and possessing, like Les- 
sing, the most profound and extensive know- 
ledge. Herder, more than any other writer, had 
the gift of identifying himself with the spirit and 
character of foreign nations ] he was what has been 
termed a universalist, and his principal writings 
^^Ideen zur Philosophic der Geschichte,^' ^^Cid," 
"Spirit of Hebrew Poetry," and "Stimmen der 
Volker" bear witness to this wonderful faculty. 
In reading his works we see the nations of antiquity 
pass in succession before our eyes, we hear them 
speak, their spirit is as it were infused into ours 
under the hand of that mental sculptor. We pass 
from him to Wieland, who, though highly gifted, 



21 



forg'ot thiit if it pleases Providence to bestow upon 
some persons more mental faculties than upon others^ 
it is the bounden duty of those blessed with the 
heavenly g-ift to use it for the benefit of their fellow- 
creatures. For woe to those authors who pervert 
the noble g-ift of writing- g-raphically and stirringly 
for an unworthy purpose. Wieland had taken the 
frivolous writers of the age for his model^ and the 
fruits are shown in almost all his works. He 
was^ as Vilmar so well expresses it^ the representative 
of the age of Louis XV. In his Geschichte der 
Abderiten/' he draws a satirical picture of the nar- 
row-mindedness then prevailing*. His Oberon/^ 
taken from the old French novel " Huon de Bor- 
deaux/^ is distinguished for its graceful^ vivid^ and 
sparkling style. Another star of that age was Jean 
Paul Friedrich Richter^ who_, in his principal work, 
" Titan/' draws a faithful picture of a man^ who^ by 
education^ had developed to the highest state of per- 
fection the inhermit qualities of heart and mind. 
The language in Titan" forcibly appeals to the 
German hearty it is fall of deep feeling, and of that 
sweetly dreamy essentially German character called 
Schwarmerei.'^ 

We now approach two fig'ures^ occupying a 
prominent position in the Walhalla of the German 
nation, " Gothe and Schiller/' of whom it has 
been said that they were like two brothers oc- 
cupying* the same throne. Gothe, whose master- 
mind, as Gervinus so well remarks, was the very 



28 

personification of intuitive perfection^ whilst Schil- 
ler had to win all his mental battles by perse- 
vering- exertions. Gothe^ who marched towards 
his aim instinctively, leisurely^ and deliberately, 
whilst Schiller had to steer throug-h a world of diffi- 
culties before reaching* it. Gothe never g-oing" out 
of his way, but allowing- the world to come up to 
meet him 3 Schiller always anxious, painstaking-, and 
eag-er to meet the world. Gothe studiously avoiding- 
ever3^thing- interfering- with his ease and comfort, 
fortune constantly smiling- upon him, Schiller al- 
ways strug-g-ling- ag-ainst difficulties and adversities. 
Gothe calmly and collectedly cling-ing- to the past, 
Schiller active, stirring-, creative, revelling- in the 
future. Gothe taking for motto. Delay, hesitation ; 
Schiller that of Action and decision. Gothe 
always keeping- a balance between body and mind, 
Schiller paying- the penalty for his g-reat mental 
efforts and consuming- enthusiasm with an un- 
timely death. Gothe, like a river of the moun- 
tain, pursuing an uneven, unsteady course ; Schiller, 
the wild stream, rushing- heedlessly onwards to 
ming-le its waters with the infinite ocean. G(5the 
never aiming- beyond that which pure nature placed 
within his reach ^ Schiller overstepping- these bounds, 
soaring- towards the infinite, the ideal world. Gothe 
moving- within a sphere of realities 3 Schiller using- 
in the pursuit of his labours, history and philosophy 
to promote the great cause of progress and liberty, 
always knowing how to strike the right chord in the 



29 

nation's heart ; Gothe breathing- the atmosphere of 
the court^ never overstepping* his limits^ and clinging" 
to his conservative notions. Yet^ however distinct in 
their pursuits^ character and org-anisation they may 
have been, Germany will always consider them as her 
two mental giadiators^ whose brows are encircled with 
the same immortal laurel^ whose names will be uttered 
by their countrymen with veneration and respect^ as 
long" as the name of Germany shall last, and even 
beyond that time, for their g-eniusbelong-s to mankind ! 

Let us now g'lance at their writing's, of which I 
shall have to speak at g-reater length in the second 
volume of my " Essay.'^ 

In ^^Werther," one of Gothe's early works, he 
describes in beautiful language the sufferings of the 
loving heart. In his " Iphigenie," Hellas of old^ 
poetical Hellas in its classical garb passes before our 
vision. In " Wilhelm Meister" he pays homage to 
the highest state of culture of which the human 
mind is susceptible. In Herrmann and Dorothea" 
we have a picture of the blessings of domestic life. 
In Faust'' the personification of the ceaseless strug- 
gling for that which is beyond our reach, in the pur- 
suit of which we neglect what we can all find within 
ourselves^ the peace of mind which passes all under- 
standing. In Faust," he has erected a literary 
monument, towering forth among those of the na- 
tions of the world, firm in its basis like the gTanite 
rock, its summit hidden in that region of light^ 
from which he drew his divine inspirations. In 



30 

Marg-aret he gives us a picture such as only a 
Raphael knew how to impart to his heaven-inspired 
ideals. At first she appears in all her child-like 
innocence^ playing* with floWers. Er liebt mich/' 
she utters with that intensity of feeling*^ that inde- 
scribable rapture, which the heart feels but once in life, 
when it is overflowing* wih the emotions of sweet, 
pure, early love. When she appears ag-ain a poor 
blig"hted flower, fallen yet still ang-elic, we feel sym- 
pathetically her unutterable g^rief, expressed in these 
immortal lines : 

Meine Euh'ist bin My peace has gone, 

Mein Herz ist schwer, My heart feels sore, 

Ich finde sie Dimmer For me no rest, 

Und nimmermehr. O ! nevermore.* 

And when at last^ writhing- in the ag-ony of despair, 
that poor heart is breaking-, heaven opens its g-ates^ 
and from the throne of a merciful Father the voices 
of a thousand ang-els shout with one cr}'- : 

" Sie ist gerettet /" 
*' She is saved /" 

Schiller. 

In his " Eaiiber" we see the dawn of his g-enius, 
the unregulated manifestation of intense youthful 
ardour. In Fiesko,'' the great ideas of libert}^, as 
contrasted with those of despotism. In " Kabale 



* The author apologizes for attempting to translate these 
lines. 



31 



nnd Liebe/' a picture of the corruption of the age. 
In the Jungfrau von Orleans/^ the patriotism and 
rehgious fervour of the woman effecting- that which 
appears incredible to the vulg-ar mind. In " Wil- 
helm Teir^ we see the cause of liberty triumph. In 
^' Wallenstein/' a picture of hig-h-soaring* ambition 
that overleaps itself. In his immortal song- of The 
Bell/' Schiller traces a picture of human life from 
the cradle to the g-rave, representing* that life under 
its domestic, social, and political aspect. 

We assist at the founding- of a bell, the founder 
surrounded by his workmen addresses them in 
earnest and solemn lang-uag-e. He tells them how 
essential it is for every man to have, previous to 
setting- to work, a model of it in his inward mind.* 
In proportion as the labour proceeds, he applies to 
every prog-ressive stag-e a picture applicable to 
human life. He beg-ins by telHng- them how the 
bell is destined to be his companion in g-ood and evil 
days 3 how its merry peals will fill with joy the 
heart of the parents, when those blessed peals 
announce the ushering* into hfe of their first-born 

* Das ist's ja, was den Menschen zieret, 
Und dazu ward ilim der Verstand, 
Das er im innern Herzen spiiret, 
Was er erschafft mit seiuer Hand. 

f Denn mit der Ereude Feierklange 
Begriisst sie das geliebte Kind 
Auf seines Lebens erstem Grange, 
Den es in Sclilafes Arm beginnt. 



32 



how its melodious sounds will ming'le with the sweet 
emotions of her who is led to the hymeneal altar 
how its solemn chimes invite^ the pious to the house 
of God ; how it strikes terror into the bosom of the 
peaceful citizen when the tocsin of alarum rouses 
him from his peaceful slumber in the time of confla- 
g'ration^f war and rebellion ; how ag*ain it gladdens 
the heart of the humble husbandman, when it tolls 
in happy harvest home ] or when the weary soldier^ 
after the strug-gles of Avar^ bends his steps home- 
wards, and peace prevails ag-ain throughout the 
land ; J and alas, how its mournful tunes ming-le with 
the g'rief of the bereaved, when the wanderer is con- 
ducted to his last resting- place : 

Ernst begleiten ihre Trauerschlage 
Einen "Wanderer auf dem letzten Wege. 

Then it seems, as if, throug^h its solemn vibrations^ 
we heard a voice from above uttering- its own mourn- 
ful motto 

^^MOETUOS PLANGO." 



* Lieblicli in der Braute Locken, 

Spielt der jungfrauliclie Kranz, &c. &c. 

•f Hort ihr's wimmern Loch vom Thurm, 
Das war Sturm, &c. &c. 

X Holder Eriede susse Eintrachtj 
Weilet, weilet lange iiber dieser Stadt, &c. 



83 



I am precluded from mentioning" in this necessarily 
condensed review that countless host of writers^ 
all those knig-hts of 'the mind, who have shed 
an undying- lustre on the literature of the 18th 
century^ who have successfully cultivated every 
mental field^ be it that of poetry^ history or philo- 
sophy, who, by shaking' off the hereditary dust of cen- 
turies, have delivered the mind from the bondag-e in 
which it was kept, and enabled it to soar heavenwards, 
and roam at pleasure in the reg-ions of the infinite. 
There, bewildered and dazzled, the philosopher has 
often lost his road, and been arrested by a voice 
exclaiming-, ^^So far, and not farther 3" thus con- 
vincing- even the most g-ifted how vain and futile 
man's efforts are, when he attempts to lift the veil 
which covers the mystery of that world which 
can only be revealed to us hereafter. These pur- 
suits, however, have not remained barren, for, in 
g-iving- a stimulus to mental exertions embracing- 
other fields, they have led to those wonderful dis- 
coveries, to those unravelling-s of the secret powers 
of nature, of which we are daily the g-rateful and 
admiring- witnesses, and which have so practical a 
bearing- on the progress, prosperity, and happiness of 
the whole human race. In alluding- to this subject, 
I cannot refi:'ain from mentioning- here the name of 
one, so justly revered b}^ his countrymen, one to whose 
incredible mental labours humanity owes so much, 
whose genius was already shining- in all its brig'htness, 

D 



34 



when this century had hardly beg-un to run its course^ 
who^ but a short time ago, still delig-hted the literary 
world with writings breathing- all the mental vig'our 
and freshness of his early days^ and who^ alas^ has 
now departed from us for ever full of years and full of 
honours. Yes^ let us pay this silent tribute of our 
admiration^ respect^ and grief to the venerable Alex- 
ander von Humboldt^ the immortal writer of 

KOSMOS. 



Night and chaos prevail throug-hout the earliest 
history of Germany. When the Eoman historian 
Tacitus threw into it a few g-limpses of lig'ht^ we 
behold those martial Teutons covered with bear- 
skins^ living- in their impenetrable oakwoods near 
that memorable forest of Teutoburg-^ where^ headed 
by their chief Arminius^ Germania's Ajax^ they made 
those proud and invincible Romans under Varus rue 
the day when first they set foot on the virgin soil of 
Germany. We hear them raise their thundering- 
voices^ to chant song's of praise in honour of their 
g-ods Wuotan and Thuisco^ or in commemoration of 
those fallen in battle^ splendid song-s breathing- all 
the fervour and intensity of feeling- belong-ing- to 
those children of nature. Ages rolled thus on until 



X\ie monk UlfilaS; m the year 860^ kindled a mental 
lig-ht^ whieli increased in the 8th and 9th centu- 
ries in the song's of the Beowulf/' Walter of 
Aquitaine" (Walter von Aquitainen)^ in that of 
/^Hildbrand" (Hildbrandslied), the Prayer of 
Wessobrunn/'(Wessobrunner Gebet); the ^^Ludwig-s- 
song^' (Ludwig"slied), a splendid lig-ht shining* in all its 
briUiancyin the ^^Lay of the Nibelung-en/' that richest 
pearl of our epic poetry. The Beowulf/' which 
appeared in the Ang-lo-Saxon dialect^ describes the 
combats of Beowulf, king- of the Jutes^ with the sea 
monster Grendel and the dragon by which he is killed. 
In Walter of Aquitaine/' published in Latin^ we 
have a description of the strug-gles of Walter ag-ainst 
Gunthari^ the Burgundian king*. 

The events alluded to in the Hildbrandslied'' and 
Walter of Aquitaine" also exist^ althoug-h in a some- 
what altered form^ in the Scandinavian ^^Sag'as/' ulti- 
mately they foraied three distinct parts^ namely^ the 
Heldenbuch/' The Lay of the Nibelung-en/' and 
Gudrun." The Song- of Hildbrand bears on the 
cycle of Dietrich of Bern or Theodoric the Great ; 
the events and dates alluded to are represented very 
confusedly^ so as to perplex even German philologists. 
Hildbrand^ Theodoric's companion in arms, after 
having" been banished from Italy by Ermanrich^ 
enters the service of King Attila (Etzel)^ whom he 
accompanies in his last Italian expedition. Here he 
is informed that his long-lost son Hudibrand is 
fighting in the ranks of the enemy ; he meets him 



36 



at the head of his troops^ and vainly endeavours 
to make him espouse Attila^s cause. Hudibrand^ 
not knowing- his father^ who had always been absent 
from home^ refuses his offers^ and accuses him of 
deceit. Nothing-^ not even the golden bracelets 
which are offered to him^ can make him alter his 
mind. 

Hildebrand took from his arms the bracelets 

And the rings the King of the Huns had given him ; 

" These do I give thee as tokens of friendship," 

Hudibrand spoke : Hildebrand' s son : 

** With the spear alone should such gifts be received, 

Point against point ! thou art an old Hun, 

A clever deceiver. "With words thou wouldst tempt me." 

Hildebrand spoke : *' I see by thine armour 

Thou hast at home a generous lord. 

Oh supreme Qod ! what a fate is mine, 

Por sixty summers and winters I wander 

Par from my home, and now my own child 

With the sword would slay, with the axe would crush me/'* 

Hudibrand; having- been vanquished by his father^ 
returns afterwards with him to Verona^ where the 
son meets his mother. For the preservation of the 
Hildbrandslied; we are indebted to two monks of 
the convent of Pulda. The Ludwig-slied/^ written 
by the monk Herschell/' celebrates the victory of 
Louis the Third over the Normans at Saulcourt^ it 
is concise and vig-orous; breathes throug-hout the 

* Madame Davesies de Pontes "Poets and Poetry of 
Germany." 



37 



most intense relig-ious fervour^ and is stirring-ly 
graphic in the description of the battle-scenes. 

In the Wessobrunner Gebet/' and in the Hild- 
brandslied/^ in fact in most of the ancient lays of the 
8th century^ the metre did not consist in the quantity, 
but rather in the accentuation given to the principal 
words contained in each line, these words always 
beginning with the same consonants ; this is called 
alliteration, as for instance: ^^Wohl und Wehe/' 

Haupt und Haar," Stock und Stein/' (Weal and 
woe, head and hair, stick and stone.) To show how 
fertile the poetry of alliteration was in its means of 
expression, we mention here, that for the single word 

Mann,'' one of our old dialects had eight distinct 
meanings, and each according to its derivation, cor- 
responded with similar sounding words, imparting 
thus a vivid and poetical colouring- to our commonly 
used phrases : UUeros UUarum, UUigeo an 
TJTJahttl, which means the man watched the horses : 
Segg was in Selda undar giSindun, man was at 
home among his camp followers.* 

It may perhaps be interesting to the reader to know 
something' of the state of our language at this our 
remotest period, we give therefore here two versions 
of the Lord's Prayer, the one by Ulfilas in the Moeso- 
Gothic dialect, the other by Luther in High German. 



* Vilmar's^Geschichte der deutschen Literatur. 



88 



TJiPILAS. 

Atta unsar thu in himinam, 
weihnai namo thein. Quimai 
tMudinassus theins. wairthai 
wilja theins. swe in himina jah 
ana airthai. Hlaif unsarana 
thana sinteinan gif uns him- 
madago. Jah aflet uns thatei 
skulans sijaima. swaswe jah 
weis afletam thaim skulam nn- 
saraim. Jah ni briggais uns in 
fraistubnjai. ak lausei uns af 
thamma ubilin. unte theina ist 
thiudangardi. jah maths, ja 
wultus in aiwins. Amen. 



LUTHEE. 

Unser Vater in dem Him- 
mel ! Dein Name werde ge- 
heiliget. Dein Eeich komme. 
Dein "Wille geschehe auf Er- 
den, wie im Himmel. Unser 
tagliches Brod gieb uns heute. 
Und vergieb uns unsere Schul- 
den, wie wir unsern Schuldi- 
gern vergeben. Und fiihre 
uns nicht in Versuchung, son- 
dern erlose uns von dem Uebel. 
Denn dein ist das Eeich und 
die Kraft, und die Herrlich- 
keit, in Ewigkeit. Amen. 



The prayer of " Wessobrunn/' written more than 
a thousand years ag'o^ beg-ins thus : 

Das erfuhr ich unter den Menschen als der 
Weisheiten gTosste : Da die Erde nicht war^ noch 
der Himmel oben^ nicht Berg*^ nicht Baum nicht war^ 
die Sonne nicht schien^ noch der Mond leuchtete^ 
noch der Meersee^ da nichts noch war von Ende 
noch Grenze da war der eine allmachtige Gott !" 

" This I heard among- men as the greatest of all 
wisdoms^ at a time when there was neither earth nor 
heaven^ mountain or tree^ when neither the sun nor 
moon were shining*^ when the deep sea did not exist^ 
when there was neither end nor boundary^ at that 
time there existed the one almighty God." 



30 



EEFEEENCES. 

"Waitz, iiber das Leben und die Lehre des Ulflla, Hanover, 
1846. Bibel Ulfilas', edited by Weissenfels and Gabelentz, 
Leipzig. Gabelentz et Loebe UMlas. 

Yeteris et nove Testamente Yersionia Gotbica fragmenta 
quse supersunt, etc. 1836 and 1843-4!. 2 vols. Prolegom. p. 1. 

The Song of BEOWULr. 

Das Gedicht Beowulf, berausgegebenvon Tborkelin, Kopen- 
hagen, 1815. Jobn Kemble, Tbe Anglo-Saxon Songs of " Beo- 
wulf," " The Traveller's song," and "The battle of Einnis- 
burgh," London, 1835. translation of the Anglo-Saxon 

poem of Beowulf/' with a copious glossary, by the same author. 

"Wessobeunnee Gebet. 

" Die beiden altesten Gedichte des 8en. Jahrhunderts," by 
Grimm. 

HlIDBEANDSLLED. 

" Commentarii de rebus Eranciae Orientalis," 1, 864-902, by 
J. G. Y. von Eckhart, 1729. " Das B^ldbrandslied," by the two 
brothers Grimm. Lachmann's " Historical and Philological 
Treatise," X833. " Haupt's Zeitschrift," 3, 447-452. 

LUDWiaSLIED. 

Discovered by " MabiUon," and published in 1696, by Schil- 
ler. S. Elnonensia. Monuments des langues romane et tudes- 
que dans le IX. siecle, publics par Hoffmann et Willems. 
Gant. 1837-4. W. Wackernagel. Alt-deutsches Lesebuch. 



40 



Our greatest national epic poem^ ^^The Lay of 
the Nibelung-en/' in which we find centred the 
various traditions of our heroic ag'e^ appeared^ 
according- to the philolog-ist Lachmann^ about the 
year 1210. All writers have ag-reed respecting- its 
intrinsic literary merit, it is a happily chosen^ essen- 
tially national subject^ its characters are vividly and 
truthfully delineated; the author, who is un- 
known, has shown throug-hout the most cultivated 
and refined mind, and we look upon it with national 
pride, as being- one of our greatest treasures of anti- 
quity. In order to understand the poem, exclu- 
sively based on the first four mythical eras of our 
history better, we shall draw a line of demarca- 
tion between the leg'ends on which it is founded 
according- to the various nationalities alluded to. I 
have for the g-uidance of the reader mentioned here 
the primitive eras in their entirety, so that the leg-ends 
to which I shall subsequently refer, may also be 
better understood. 

The First Era is called the lower Ehenish or 
Franconian ; its hero is Sig-frid. The scene where the 
events take place, Santen, on the lower Rhine. 

The Second is the Burg-undian era ; its heroes are 
King- Gunther, who resides at Worms, his brothers 
Gemot and Giselher, his sister Kriemhild, his wife 
Brunhild, and his vassals Hag-an von Tronei and 
Volker. 

The Third is the east Gothie era; its heroes 
Dietrich von Bern, Hildebrand, Dietrich's principal 



41 



master of arms^ with Wolfhart^ Wolfrin^ Wolfbrant^ 
Sig-estab and Helferich his vassals. 

The Fourth is that of Etzel or Attila^ King- of 
the HuuS; of his first wife Helche, and her sons^ his 
vassal Eiidig-er von Bechlarn^ Hawart duke of Lor- 
raine and Irnfrid prince of Thuringia. both aUies 
of Attila. Attila's residence is at Etzel castle (now 
Ofen) in Hung-ary. 

The FiFTH^ the northern German^ Frisian Danish 
Normannic^ deviates from the preceding- eras^ and re- 
presents the maritime life of northern Germany. The 
events take place in Friesland^ its heroes are Het- 
tel^ the Frisian King'^ Horant the Stomarnking-^ 
Wate his uncle^ and HetteFs daug-hter Gudrun, The 
poem of Gudrun^ based on the leg^ends of this era, 
is^ after the song- of the Nibelung-en, considered the 
richest pearl of our epic poetry. 

The Sixth and last Era is the Lombardian ] its 
heroes are King' Eother^ King* Otnit^ Hug-dietrich^ 
and his son Wolfdietrich. The events take place in 
Lombardy^ the T}to1 and East. 

From certain allusions made in the leg-ends of 
Hug- and Wolfdietrich^ referring- to a period ante- 
cedent to theirs^ it has been inferred by some^ that 
they Hved before Dietrich von Eern^ but from these 
productions bearmg* so unmistakeably the stamp of 
the time of the Crusades^ we must conclude that they 
were written after the third mythical era^ until phi- 
lological researches shall have est^bhshed this point 
more clearly. 



42 



EPIC POEMS OP THE EEMOTEST PERIOD. 

THE " NIBELUNGENLIED." 

CONDENSED PROM VILMAR's GESOHICHTE DER DEUTSCHEN 
NATIONAL-LITER AT DR. 

Many^ many years ag*o^ there lived in the ancient 
royal castle of Worms^ a king-'s daughter of match- 
less beauty and loveliness called Kriemhild, 

Having* lost her father at an early ag-e^ she lived 
in the g-reatest retirement with her mother^ to whose 
tender care she had been entrusted. Mysterious 
foreboding's of her future unhappy career^ had even 
at this early ag'e spread a certain gloom over her 
mind^ to be still increased^ when one nig-ht she 
dreamt^ that her favourite falcon had been suddenly 
attacked by two fierce eag-les^ and cruelly killed 
before her eyes. Full of g-rief she relates on the fol- 
lowing* morning" her sad dream to her mother^ who 
thus explains it : " The falcon^ dear child^ is a 
noble warrior, to whom you are destined, may God 
protect him from an untimely death 

The shades of this early dream seem to have 
obscured the bright heaven of her life, darker and 
darker they spread over the vernal days of her first, 
sweet, and only love, they thicken threateningly when 
the festive season of her marriage approaches, until 
the sun of her life sets for ever in its gloomy 
majesty. 



43 



Meanwhile Sigfrid, son of Sigmund and Sigelinda, 
living- at Santen on the Ehine^ had grown up in all 
the pride of streng'th and manhood.* Possessing- 
herculean streng'th^ he even at this early ag-e had 
challenged many a knig-ht^ and never found his 
equal. He hears of the lovely Kriemhild^l and 
determines to possess her. Disreg-arding- the wise 
counsels of his aged father^ and the tears of his 
mother^ he leaves the paternal roof^ loaded with rich 
gifts. Attended by a brilliant suite^ mounted on a 
mag-nificent charg"er^ he arrives at the castle g"ate of 
Worms. Nobody knows them^ not even the ex- 
perienced traveller Hag-an von Tronei^ who at last 
exclaims : 

^^The most prominent among- them can be no 
other but Sig-frid^ the hero^ who overcame the race 
of Schildung, he who during- a fierce strug-gle with 
the dwarf Alberich, took from him the g-arment^ 
which renders invisible whoever wears it^ yes that 
must be the same Sigfrid, who slew the drag-on 
whose blood has rendered him invulnerable ever 
since.'' 

* In seinen besten Zeiten, bei seinen jungen Tagen, 
Mochte man viel Wunder von Siegfriden sagen, 
Was Ehren an ihm wuchsen und wie schon war sein Leib, 
Drum dachte sein in Minne mancbes waidlicbe Weib. 

f Dem Herrn miibte selten irgend ein Herzeleid, 

Er borte Kunde sagen wie eine scbone Maid, 
. In Burgonden ware, nacb "Wiinschen woblgetban, 
Yon der er bald viel Ereuden und aucb viel Leides gewann. 



44 



Let us receive him hospitably !* 

Sigfrid enters the gates^ with his followers^ tour- 
naments and banquets are g-iven in his honour^ and 
Kriemhild for the first time throws a stealthy glance 
from her window on the splendid youthful hero; 
but keeping" in strict seclusion^ he for a considerable 
time to come has no opportunity of seeing her^ for 
whom he so ardently aspires. 

He accompanies the Burg-undian King* during- his 
campaig-n in Hessen and Saxony^ the King- Liutg-er^ 
of which^ allied with Liutg-ast^ King- of Denmark^ 
had declared war ag-ainst the Burg-undians. Sig-frid^ 
always foremost in battle^ makes King- Liutg-ast a 
prisoner ; after which Liutg-er is also compelled to 
yield. Messeng-ers announcing- the joyous news of 
victory arrive at the Rhine^ they are conducted 
before Kriemhild^ who^ when hearing- of Sig*frid's 
heroic deeds^ rewards them with rich g-ifts-t 

Shouts of victory at last announce the arrival of 
Sig-frid and his followers; Kriemhild still keeps 
secluded in her chamber. 

* Er bringet neue Mare her in dieses Land : 
Die kiihnen Nibelungen schlug des Helden Hand, 
Die reichen Konigssohne Schilbung und Nibelung, 
Er wirkte grosse "Wunder mit des starken Armes Schwung, 

t Als sie in ihre Kammer den Boten kommen sab, 
Kriembiid die scbone gar giitlich spracb sie da : 
" Nun sag mir liebe Mare, so geb ich dir mein Gold, 
Und thust du*s ohne Liigen, will icb dir bleiben immer 
hold." 



45 



When the time of Pentecost at last approaches^ 
a tournament takes place at the Biu-g-undian Court. 
Kriemhild^ followed by her mother Ute^ and a hun- 
dred beautiful and richly attired maidens^ is allowed 
to appear for the first time in pubhc. All eyes are 
directed upon the King-'s lovely daughter^ when^ 
according* to the etiquette of those times^ Gemot her 
brother desires Sigfrid to approach. For the first 
time they meet face to face^ Kriemhild most fer- 
vently thanks him for his valuable services given to 
her brothers ;* after some time the guests depart^ 
except Sigfrid^ whO; at the instigation of youngs 
GiselheVy determines to prolong his stay at the castle. 

But now there lived opposite beyond the sea a 
queen of dazzling beauty, remarkable for her gi- 
gantic strength, most expert in all athletic exercises, 
and determined to give her hand only to him who 
should vanquish her in combat. Many a hero had 
already lost his life in struggling with this formida- 
ble amazon. Gunther resolves to try his chance 3 he 
invites Sigfrid to lend him his assistance : the latter 
consents on condition that Gunther, after having* suc- 
ceeded in vanquishing the amazon by his help, should 
give him his sister Kriemhild for wife : Gunther 
consents. They start, and arrive after twelve days' 

* Als sie den Hochgemutlieii vor sicH stehen sali, 
Da ergl'iiht' ihre Farbe ; die Schbne sagte da : 
" Willkommen, Herr Sigfrid, ein edler Eitter gut." 
Da ward ihm von dem Qrusse wohi erholiet der Mutb. 



passage before the Isenstein^ the castle^ where 
Brunhild resides. Sig'frid alone knows this mys- 
terious abode, from which we infer that he must 
have been acquainted with Brunhild before. " Be 
welcome, Sir Sigfrid/' she exclaims. ^^What is 
the object of your journey?^' Sig'frid explains that 
Gunther had come for her sake alone. 

Their combats begin, Sigfrid wearing the dress of 
the dwarf Alberich, which renders him invisible, 
fights unseen for Gunther ) with terrific force 
he dashes his spear against the amazon's shield, 
she falls, gets quickly up, and addressing her 
attendants exclaims, ^^You will henceforth be the 
subjects of King Gunther."* They prepare for re- 
turning home ; Sigfrid precedes the happy couple in 
order to announce their speedy arrival at Worms. 
His most ardent wishes are realized, as soon as 
Gunther is joined in marriage to Brunhild, the lovety 
Kriemhild, aim of all his aspirations, becomes also 
his wife. 

But Brunhild looks gloomil}^ and jealously upon 
the happy couple, tears flow from her eyes, and she 
reproaches Gunther with having given his sister to 
one inferior to her in rank.f 

* Zu ihrem Ingesinde laut sprach sie da, 

Als sie gesund den Helden an des Kreisses Ende sah : 
" Ihr meine Freund und Mannen, tretet gleich heran ; 
Ihr sollt dem Konig Grunther alle werden unterthan." 
t This intense jealousy on the part of Brunhild is not ex- 
plained in the poem, but we conclude from it that Sigfrid was not 



47 



He succeeds in calming* her for a while^ yet 
she has no rest^ the thought of her having" been de- 
feated by a man renders her miserable. She there- 
fore challeng-es Gunther a second time to combat^ 
the latter in the temporary absence of Sigfrid is 
vanquished^ bound hand and foot with the g'irdle of 
the amazon, and only released after earnest and long- 
entreaties. 

Feeling" ashamed of his disg*raceful defeat^ Gunther 
complains of it on the following- day to Sigfrid. 

The latter fights a second time for Gunther^ over- 
comes Brunhild^ and deprives her this time of her 
girdle and ring^ which he offers ultimately as a gift 
to his wife Kriemhild^ with whom he lives now in 
peace and happiness^ his father Sigmund having 
meanwhile yielded to him crown and empire. His 
happiness reaches its climax when an heir is born 
to him. 

But the flames of jealousy still burn with undi- 
minished fury in Brunhild's hearty and brooding dark 
thoughts^ she induces Gunther to invite Sigfrid and 
Kriemhild to a visit at their residence in Worms, 
Gunther objects at first^ for reasons best known to 
himself, but at last reluctantly consents. 

unknown to her, an inference confirmed by a northern legend 
of the mythical age, in which a certain amazon called Wall- 
kiire" is mentioned, who, after having been kept by the prin- 
cipal god of the Teutons, Wuotan," in a prison surrounded 
by a fiery wall, is delivered by Sigfrid, the God of Spring, and 
married to him. This marriage not being a happy one, they 
are subsequently separated. 



48 



The invitation is accepted^ Sigfrid and Kriem- 
Iiild arrive at Worms^ loaded with rich gifts 5 they 
meet with a splendid reception, tournaments are 
given in their honour, and with the stirrings blast of 
the trumpet ming"le the sweeter sounds of the harp 
and flute. But throug-h all this apparent harmony 
we can detect already the shrill voice of hatred, jea- 
lousy, and malice, announcing- the perpetration of 
that foul crime which even after a thousand years 
fills the soul with horror and dismay ! 

A fit opportunity for quarrelling- with Kriemhild 
soon presents itself. In g-oing* to church, Brun- 
hild insists on taking- precedence over Kriemhild in 
the procession. At last the latter, being- publicly ^ 
insulted by Brunhild, warmly resents such conduct, 
and the dispute ends by Kriemhild's telling- her 
rival in what manner she had been vanquished by 
Gunther, namely, throug-h Sig-frid's assistance alone. 
Brunhild denies it, and becomes almost fi:*antic with 
rag-e, when Kriemhild produces the convincing- proof, 
the g-irdle and ring-, adding- at the same time some 
offensive remarks about Brunhild's former relations 
to Sig-frid. 

Now her pride is humbled, she is stung- to death, 
she has but one thoug-ht, and that is reveng-e on 
Sig-frid, who offended her. 

The latter, attaching- little importance to the 
quarrel, g-ood-naturedly tries to reconcile the ladies 
but in vain. Brunhild's rag-e knows no bounds. 

In this state, Hagan von Tronei finds her } he sees 



49 



his queen and mistress insulted^ he determines to re- 
venge her.* 

Er fragte was ihr ware, weil er sie weinend fand ; 

Sie sagt' ihm die Mare. Er gelobt ihr gleich zur Hand, 

Dass es biissen solle der Kriemhilde Mann, 

Oder man treff ' ihn nimmer unter Erolichen an. 

Kriemhild's brothers and Ortwin of Metz are con- 
sulted on the subject j Giselher alone considers the 
matter as too trifling-^ however he is overruled^ and 
Sig-frid's death is determined upon. 

Under the pretence of preparing- for war^ Sig"- 
frid is called upon to join the army ; but previous to 
his departure the treacherous Hag-an/' in taking- 
leave of Kriemhild^ is desired by her most entreat- 
ing-ly to watch over Sig-frid in battle. Thoug-h 
almost invulnerable/' she tenderly remarks^ there 
remains a small spot on his shoulder untouched by 
the drag'on's bloody on that spot he is vulnerable.'^ 
Then the wicked Hag"an induces her to sew a silk 
cross on Sig-frid's dress^ so as to point out that vul- 
nerable spot^ and the poor unsuspecting* Kriemhild 
sews this hlood sign with her own hand. 

The nig'ht before Sig'frid's departure she has ag*ain 
a fearful dream^ in which she sees her Sig"frid buried 

* That Hagan should at once have espoused her cause, and 
shown so much eagerness to revenge her, cannot be entirely at- 
tributed to the intense loyalty shown by the vassals of that age 
towards their superiors, but must have arisen from envy or 
hatred, Sigfrid being unsurpassed for strength and warlike 
achievements. 

E 



50 



under two gigantic mountains, which have suddenly 
given way. 

With gloomy forebodings she bids to her beloved 
hero a last farewell. 

Once on the march^ the sham order is altered; and 
a hunting party substituted. 

After the hunt, the chiefs^ weary and thirsty^ are 
conducted by Hagan to a well; taking its source near 
a hme tree. There the latter invites Sigfrid to run 
a race with him. Sigfrid accepts, and although 
heavily armed arrives first ; he then puts his arms 
aside, waiting for the arrival of King Gunther, in 
order to offer him out of courtesy the first drink. 

When the latter has done so, Sigfrid stoops to 
quench his burning thirst, and just when drawing in 
the cooling draught, the treacherous Hagan pierces 
the hero's shoulder right through the cross which 
marks the vulnerable spot. Sigfrid gets up, his 
arms are gone, only his shield is left, this he seizes 
with his last herculean grasp and strikes, — the pre- 
cious stones with which it is set are forced out f but 
his life is ebbing fast away, he sinks down, and the 
forest around resounds from the heavy fall of the hero. 

Growing fainter and fainter, he with a dying voice 
calls for Gunther ; he has but one thought, and that 

* Wie wund er war zum Tode, so kraftig doch er scMug, 
Dass von dem Schilde nieder rieselte genug 
Des edlen Gesteines ; der Schild zerbrach aucli fast : 
So gem gerochen hatte sich der herrliche Gast. 



51 



thoug'ht is his beloved wife^ his infant child. Woe 
to them/^ he exclaims in expiring*^ ^^they will say 
of that child^ that his nearest relatives have slain his 
father:' 

The forest flowers around are crimson dyed mth 
the heart blood of the expiring* hero^ he sighs once 
more^ his spirit is with God !* 

His murderers are at first desirous to conceal the 
mm^der^ but Hag-an is ag'ainst it. The corpse is 
carried to WormS; and at the orders of that mon- 
ster deposited before the very door of Kriemhild's 
house. 

On the following' morning*, the latter when g'oing- 
to church, sees the corpse of her murdered husband 
by the lurid lig'ht of a torch : she utters one piercing* 
cry of horror, she has recog'nized him ! 

SigMd's old father and attendants hasten to the 
spot, lamentations and cries fill the hall, they offer 
to reveng-e their master, and are with difficulty 
restrained by Kriemliild, who tells them to bide 
theii' time. "When the body is laid out, Gunther, 
his brothers, and also Hag'an, approach to see it. 

According' to an old popular belief, the wounds 
of a murdered man are said to flow again, whenever 
the murderer approaches the body. For this rea- 
son Kriemhild watched Hagan, and to her horror 

* Die Blumen allentlialben waren vom Blute nass. 
Da rang er mit dem Tode, niclit lange that er das, 
Denn des Todes Waffe schnitt immer allzusehr, 
Aucli muste bald ersterben dieser Degen kiilm and hehr. 

E 2 



S2 

the wounds did flow, when 1:hat monster approached 
the corpse. 

The body is placed in the silver coffin : Kriemhild 
frantic with grief and despair rushes near to behold 
once more the noble features of her murdered hus- 
band, with her white hands she raises the hero's 
head, so beautiful even in death, and presses a last 
kiss on his pallid lips. 

Here ends the first part of the poem. After Sig"- 
frid's death king* ^' Sig*mund" returns home with 
Kriemhild's child, in order to devote himself to his 
education • she however remains at Worms, near the 
g-rave of the idol of her heart, to bewail his untimely 
death, and ultimately to reveng-e it : 



Wo ihr Freund begraben lag wie fleissig ging sie bin ! 
Sie tbat es alle Tage mit traurigem Sinn, 
Und bat dass Gott der Gute seiner Seele moge pflegen : 
Gar oft bejammert wurde mit grosser Treue der Degen. 



Her brothers, anxious to reconcile her, cause Sig"- 
frid's treasure, the g*reat Nibelung-enhort,'' to be 
broug-ht from the distant land of the Nibelung-en and 
g-iven up to Kriemhild,'' who following* the bent of 
her kindly disposition is now enabled to devote her- 
self to acts of charit}^, but the wicked ^^Tronei,'' 
fearing* that she mig-ht thereby increase her influence 
with the people, deprives her clandestinely of this 
treasure, and has it, at Gernot's advice, thrown into 
the Rhine, between the towns of Worms and Lorsch^ 



58 



where according' to the leg'end it has remained con- 
cealed to this very day. Thirteen years after Sig'- 
frid's death^ king' Etzel" (Attila) of Hung-ary^ 
having* lost his wife Helche/^ determines^ at the 
advice of his chief, Eiidig-er von Bechlaren/' to sue 
for Kriemhild's hand. The chief entrusted with this 
mission starts for Worms_, where he is hospitably 
received by Kriemhild's brothers ; Hag-an however^ 
foreboding' ultimate mischief, does all in his power 
to fi'ustrate Riidig-er's desig"ns. For a considerable 
time Kriemhild will not listen to Etzel's offers^ and 
when she finally consents^ it is only after Riidig-er's 
solemn promise to assist her in aveng'ing* Sig"frid^s 
death : 

Dariiber scMen getrostet die Frau in ihrem Muth, 
Sie sprach : '* AVohlan, so schworet, was mir Jemand thut, 
IhrwoUtder erste werden, derraclien will mein Leid," 
Pa sprach zu ihr der Markgraf : '* Dazu bin ich gern bereit." 

She then starts for distant Hung-ary^ At Tulna 
she is met by Etzel^ followed by mig-hty princes and 
a splendid suite^ among* whom we mention^ Blodel^ 
Etzel's brother^ Hawart the Brave^ king* of the 
Danes^ with his faithful vassal Iring*^ Irnfrid of Thu- 
ring-ia^ mentioned in history under the name of 
Herrmanfrid; Gibike and Hornbog*e the Saxon lordS; 
and prince Ramung* of Wallachia. But the most 
prominent among* them is Dietrich von Bern^ the 
chief of the Amelung* race ] his left hand g*rasps the 
hilt of his battle-sword; whilst his right is leaning* on 



54 



a lion shield. Gigantic and powerful like Sigfrid, 
he resembles the departed hero still more by the 
fire that flashes from his eye^ and the majestic dig- 
nity enthroned on his splendid brow. 

Kriemhild's marriage is then celebrated with great 
splendour at Vienna^ and a fortnight afterwards she 
enters EtzeFs castle. Several years elapse^ during 
which she has become the mother of a lovely boy, 
called Ortlieb." At last the time of revenge is 
drawing near. Having induced her husband to 
invite her brothers and the principal Burgundian 
knights to visit Etzel castle, the far-famed heroes 

Werbel" and Swemlin'' are sent for that pur- 
pose to Worms. The invitation is accepted by 
the Burgundians, notwithstanding Hagan's efforts 
to the contrary, and Kriemhild can hardly restrain 
her delight when hearing of the successful result of 
the errand. Soon afterwards the Burgundians, ac- 
companied by the merry singer Volker," leave for 
Hungary, travelling up the river Mein,'^ through 
Eastern Franconia, down the Danube, the borders of 
which river they find overflowing. Hagan, the most 
experienced among the travellers, in trying to find 
a safe fording-place, meets with two nymphs, one of 
whom encourages him to proceed on his journey, 
while the other warns him of the certain destruction 
of the Burgundians. He then sustains a combat 
with the ferryman, slays him, seizes his boat, and 
being a skilled rower, takes the Burgundians safely 
to the opposite shore, with the exception of the 



55 

chaplain^ whom he throws overboard^ but who saves 
himself by swimming*. After this he destroys the 
boat so as to render a return impossible. The Bm*- 
g'undians then proceed on their journey^ are most 
hospitably received by Riidig-er von Bechlaren and 
his amiable wife Gotelinde^ with whose lovely 
daug^hter Dietlinde^ young* Giselher falls in love 
during" his short stay at the castle^ and is betrothed 
to her. ' 

Als nun begann zu fragen die minnigliche Maid 

Ob sie den Eecken woUe, zum Theil war es ihr Leid ; 

Docli dachte sie zu nehmen den waidlichen Mann 

Sie scbamte sicb der Frage, wie mancbe Maid bat getban. 

They then depart^ pass through Dietriches estates, 
who with his trustworthy Hildbrand meets them at 
the head of his powerful host called Die Wolfin- 
schar.^' 

Dietrich, in a conversation with Hagan, warns his 
old friend to be on his guard. When they at last 
reach Etzel's castle, the King- and Kriemhild step 
to the window to see them enter. '-^ Behold/' exclaims 
the latter on seeing the well-known Burgundian co- 
lours, and the glittering of the eagle helmets, be- 
hold my long* expected relatives, let those who love 
me, now remember all I have suffered." The Huns 
have assembled in great numbers to see the splendid 
entry of the Burgundians, all eyes are directed upon 
Hag^an von Tronei, who, clad in steel armom^, and 
mounted on a magnificent charg'er, is prominent 



56 



among" all by his gigantic size and terror-inspiring 
countenance : 

Der Held war wolilgenwachsen, das ist sicher walir 

Yon Schultern breit und Briisten gemischt war seiu Haar 

Mit einer greisen Parbe, von Beinen war er lang 

Und schrecklicli von Gesichte, er hatte herrlichen Gang. 

The Burg-undians having* entered the castle^ Yolker 
the sing-er^ anticipating- the coming* storm, enters 
into a solemn pact with Hag"an to defend each other 
unto death. The latter then meets Kriemhild^ who 
reproaches him with the murder of her husband. 

I did slay him/' Hag*an insolently replies^ and 
am prepared to abide the consequences." Kriemhild 
without replying* leaves him to receive her brothers 
in the hall^ but only Giselher the young*est meets 
with a hearty welcome. According* to the then 
prevailing* custom^ the g'uests are desired to give up 
their arms ; Hag*an however refuses doing* so^ and 
when Kriemhild'' inquires about the cause of his 
mistrust^ the noble Dietrich von Bern" steps forth, 
exclaiming*, It's I who warned him, my lady, and 
on me, I trust, you will not reveng*e it." She vainly 
appeals to him and Hildbrand to assist her in carry- 
ing* out her treacherous designs. Blodel, Etzel's 
brother, however, consents to attack those Burgun- 
dian soldiers who, under the command of Dankwart, 
Hagan's brother, had been encamped near the castle. 

Blodel at once proceeds to Dankwart's tent to 
challenge him to combat, but is speedily dis- 



b7 

patched by the latter. Then a terrible combat 
takes place between the Burgundians and Blodel's 
followers^ in which the former^ outnumbered by 
their opponents^ are slain. Dankwart alone 
escapes with the loss of his shield^ forces his 
passag'e to the royal hall^ cutting- down all those 
who oppose him. He enters it covered with g-ore^ 
crying*^ with a voice of thunder^ Hag^an^ revenge 
our murdered comrades " Nun trinken wir die 
Minne und opfern des Konig's Wein/' shouts the 
latter in starting- from his seat — words beautifully 
expressive of the occasion^ and applying* here to an 
old custom of the heathens^ prevailing- at their ban- 
quets^ according- to which a g-oblet was always 
emptied in remembrance of the dead. " Minne " 
sig-nifies in memory of j Des Konig-s Wein/' the 
blood of the king*'s relatives^ which was to flow in 
streams. Hag'an draws his sword : with one blow 
he cuts off the head of young* Ortlieb^ Etzel's son^ a 
second fells the child's g-uardian to the ground. 
Volker^ Gunther^ Gernot^ and at last Giselher^ rise 
to reveng-e the death of their fallen brethren. The 
banqueting- hall is soon covered with the corpses of 
the Huns. Whilst the combat is rag-ing- fiercest^ 
Kriemhild appeals to Dietrich for protection. The 
g-allant hero^ remembering- what he owes to the wo- 
man^ the queen^ and to the wife of his hospitable 
friend^ readily consents; but being- himself uncon- 
cerned in the strife^ he asks permission to retire with 
her from the hall— a request g-ranted by Gunther. 



58 



The carnage begins with renewed fury : then fol- 
lows a short respite, during* which Hagen upbraids 
iJtzel for not participating in the struggle, calling 
him a coward, and scornfully challenging him to 
combat. The challenge is accepted by the noble 
Iring, Margrave of Danemark. A terrific struggle 
ensues ; Iring being powerless against his for- 
midable enemy, attacks alternately Volker and Ger- 
not. The latter fells Iring to the ground : he rises 
again, and striking at Hagan a terrific blow with 
his famous sword ^^Waske," wounds him slightly. 
Being in his turn assailed by the infuriated Ha- 
gan, Iring is driven down stairs, but forces his 
way up again. A spear from Hagan's hand en- 
ters his forehead : he falls to rise no more. Irnfi:*id 
of Thuringia and Hawart have also succumbed. 
Night sets in to interrupt the work of blood and 
carnage, its stillness only broken by the sighs and 
cries of the dying and wounded. The combatants 
now divest themselves of their heavy armour to cool 
and rest their weary limbs ; but Hagan and Volker 
remain fully armed. Knowing their fate, they re- 
quest to be allowed to leave the hall^ in order to meet 
with a speedy death from the Huns who crowd the 
court below 3 but Kriemhild, notwithstanding the 
entreaties of her brother Giselher, and fearing that 
Hagan might escape, refuses this last request. Ee- 
lentless even unto death, she now gives orders to set 
fire to the hall : dense columns of smoke have soon 
enveloped it in their stifling embrace, and the lurid 



59^ 

flames rise heavenwards through that night of terror^ 
blood, and crime. 

Das Feuer fiel gewaltig auf sie in den Saal : 
Sie wandten mit den Schilden es von sich ab im Pall 
Der Raucli und ancli die Hitze sclimerzten sie gar selir 
Also grosser J ammer geschieht wohl Helden nimmer mehr. 

Half suffocated^ with parched lips, and without 
anything to quench their intolerable thirst; they have 
taken their place along the stone walls, protecting 
themselves as well as they can with their shields 
against the burning- atmosphere around, and when 
the first rays of God's glorious light are reappearing 
in the heavens, and the last piece of wood has been 
consumed by the devouring element, the terrible 
combatants are seen blackened and scorched, but 
still undaunted, and ready to spend their last remain- 
ing strength in this hopeless death-struggle. The 
combat begins again, and again the Huns cover the 
staircase with their corpses. Etzel now appeals to 
his most faithful adherents for assistance. Riidiger 
von Bechlaren^s noble heart at first hesitates, for it 
was he who conducted the Burgundians hither ; to be 
instrumental in their destruction would be perfidy, 
and yet to abandon his queen, to whom he has sworn 
allegiance, would be high treason and perjury. The 
sense of loyalty in Elidiger is too strong : no, he 
will not betray his king. 

Da setzt er auf die "Wage die Seele wie den Leib, 
"^Da began zu weinen Konig Etzels "Weib. 
Er spracb." Ich muss eucb halten den Eid den ich gethan 
O web ! meine Ereunde, gar ungern greif icb sie an." 



(So 

Eiidiger now advances^ eng-ag-es in a mur- 
derous combat with Gernot^ and fells him ; but 
the latter rising* ag-ain^ strikes a deadly blow at 
Eiidig-er : they both die on the same spot. Now 
lamentations are heard everywhere^ for Riidig-er 
the g"ood^ the uprig"ht^ and the brave^ is no more ! 
When the news of his death reaches the ears of 
Dietrich von Bern he is horror-struck. The race of 
the g^ig-antic Amelung's then prepare to reveng-e 
Riidig-er's death. Volker^ the merry sing'er^ is slain 
by Hildbrand : a terrific combat ensues between Gi- 
selher and Wolf hearty in which both are destroyed^ 
and Hag-an having- inflicted a severe wound on 
Hildbrand^ the latter is compelled to leave the 
scene of carnage. His master Dietrich^ at last ad- 
vances to sustain the final strug-g-le ag-ainst Gunther 
and Hag-an^ the only Burgundians still erect among* 
the desolation around. Having* summoned the latter 
to surrender^ Hag-an replies^ No; not until my g-ood 
Nibelung-en sword shall have been broken to atoms." 
He and Gunther^ however^ are finally overcome by 
Dietrich^ bound by him^ and conducted in this help- 
less state before Kriemhild^ who offers to spare Ha- 
g*an's hfc; if he will tell her where he concealed the 
Nibelung-enhort. 

Hin ging die Konigstochter, wo sie Hagen sail ; 
Wie feindselig sprach sie zu dem E-ecken da : 
" WoUt ihr mir wiedergeben was ihr mir habt genommen, 
So moget ihr wohl noch lebeud heim zu den Burgonden 
kommen." 

''^As long" as one of my masters lives/' replies the 



61 



latter^ I shall not divulge the secret.'' Then the 
cruel woman causes Gunther's head to be cut ofFbefore 
Hag-an's eyes^ who^ although faint unto death^ still 
retains his haughty and defiant attitude^ and refuses 
to reveal the secret. In that case/' exclaims Kriem- 
hild^ there remains to me Sigfrid's good sword; 
with which to revenge his foul murder f and^ draw- 
ing it out of the scabbard; she plunges it into Hagan's 
heart. One deed of blood remains still to be enacted^ 
and we shall throw a veil over this picture of 
horror, passion, and crime. Hildbrand, frantic with 
grief and rage, revenges Hagan's death on Kriem- 
hild, who falls in uttering a piercing cry : 

Da waren aucli die Stolzesten erlegeii vor dem Tod 
Die Leute batten alle Jammer und Herzensnoth, 
Mit Leide war beendet des Konigs Lustbarkeit, 
"Wie die Liebe Leiden gern am letzten Ende leibt. 

The Nibelungenlied bears a more national cha- 
racter than any other epic poem of our primitive age ) 
and appeals therefore more forcibly to the nation's 
heart wherein it has taken root, just as our native oaks 
are rooted in the soil of our Fatherland. The mani- 
festations of nature, be they soul-gladdening or awe- 
inspiring, have always produced a greater effect on 
the mind of primitive nations, the image of nature 
throwing a purer and stronger light into the souls 
of the children of nature, the impressions thus re- 
ceived have been uttered afterwards in language 
bearing unmistakeably the impress of this pure origin. 



62 



In our epic poem the sun rises magnificently and 
sets g-loomily in its crimson-dyed majesty. At the 
dawn all is pleasurable and lovely^ we see but vernal 
flowers scattered on our path; we listen with rapture 
to songs celebrating" the return of spring"^ every- 
thing- around breathes joy and peace, but alas the 
beautiful picture soon vanishes, smiles chang-e into 
frowns, love into hatred ^ charity, hospitality, and 
kindness into relentless persecution and enmity ; the 
heart's sweet and kindly offerings into the gloom of 
passion, hatred, revenge, blood and death! 

The historical events alluded to frequently offer 
the most palpable contradictions, dates and events 
are confusedly mixed together, the chain is often 
broken ; now and then the mythical effaces the histo- 
rical element, at which we should not feel astonished, 
when we remember, that the poem was transmitted 
from one generation to another, and must there- 
fore have suffered at different periods great altera- 
tions in its historical character, independently of the 
fact, that in proportion as the heathen myth was 
gradually disappearing, the legends bearing upon the 
primitive eras must have become in consequence 
more and more incomprehensible to succeeding ge- 
nerations. It is probable that the various songs 
appeared about the year 1170, in a connected shape, 
and that the whole poem was published about the 
year 1210. The author of this great epic is 
unknown, and how can it be otherwise, when 
we recollect that many writers of succeeding 



63 



ag-es contributed to it ? Among" the best transla- 
tions we place foremost that of Karl Simrock, we 
also mention those of Pfizer^ Lachmann von der 
Hag'en^ von Hinsberg- and Eebenstock* Dm^ing* 
the 14th and 15th centuries the poem remained neg- 
lected. Bodmer discovered^ about the year 1750^ two 
manuscripts of it in the library of Count Ems at 
Graubiindten^ and had them printed under the title 
of Kriemhild's Eeveng*e/^ A Swiss named Miiller 
pubHshed the poem during' the reig-n of Frederic the 
Great. Wishino- to dedicate his work to that monarch 
he received an answer still preserved under frame in 
the Zurich library^ for the edification of all lovers of 
German hteratm^e. 

We give here a few verses of the Nibelung-en in 
its original text and in modern German : 

1. Aventiure von den Nihelungen, 

1. Uns ist in. alten maren wmders vil geseit 
Von heleden lobebaren, von grozer arebeit, 

Yon freyde imt hochgeciten Ton weinen vnt klagen, 

Von kyner reckon striten myget ir mi wmder boron sagen. 

Erstes Abentheuer. 
Viel "Wunderdinge melden die Sagen uns scbon friili 
Von preiswerthen Helden, yon grosser !N'oth und Miib, 
Von Freud nnd Festliclikeitenj yon "Weinen und yon Klagen, 
Von kiibner Eecken Streiten mogt ilir nun Wunder horen 
sagen. 

2. Ez wybs in Buregonden ein yil edel magedin, 
Daz in alien landen nibt schoners molite sin, 
Clu^Leinliilt gelieizen, diy wart ein scbone wip; 
Darymbe my sin degene yil yerliesen den lip. 



64 



Es wuchs in Burgonden ein edel Magdelein, 
Wie in alien Landen nichts sclioners mochte sein. 
Kriemhild war sie geheissen und ward ein schones Weib, 
IJm das viel Degen mussten verlieren Leben und Leib. 

3. Ir pflagen dri kunige edel vnt rich, 
Gunther und Grernot die recben lobelicb, 
Vnt Griselher der junge, ein wetlieher degen ; 
Div frowe was ir swester, die belde hetens in ir pflegen. 
Sie pflegten drei Konige, edel und reich, 
G-unther und Glernot, die Eecken ohne Gleich; 
Und Geiselher der junge, ein waidlicher Degen ; 
Ihre Schwester war die Fraue, die Helden batten sie zu 
pflegen. 

Eeferences. 

"W. Miiller, "XJeber die Lieder von den Nibelungen." 
"W. Grimm, *'Die deutscbe Heldensage." 
Lacbmann, Kritik der Sagen von den Mbelungen." 
Peter Erasmus MuUer, '*Saga Bibliotbek." 
Criiger, **Ursprung des Nibelungenliedes." 
Lettsom's Translation of tbe Mbelungenlied. 



We possess another poem^ describing- the early 
adventures of Sigfrid^ called Das Lied vom hiirnin 
Sig-fried'^ (The song- of the horny Sig*frid). The 
following" is the substance of it. A treacherous 
blacksmith sends Sigfrid under some pretext to the 
wood^ so that he mig'ht become there the prey of a 
formidable drag-on. Sig"frid^ however^ slays the 
monster ; and after having- bathed in its bloody is 



Co 

made thereby invulnerable (horny). He then hearf^ 
that Kriemhild^ the daug-hter of King- Gibbich of 
Burg'undy_, had been carried off by another enchanted 
drag'on^ to whom she was to be married as soon as the 
spell should have been broken. Sig-frid determines to 
deliver her. In passing* throug-h the wood^ he meets 
a dwarf wearing- a dazzling- crown^ and mounted on a 
black horse. Sigfrid having- heard from him^ that the 
g'iant Kuperan g-uards the entrance of the drag-on's 
den^ sustains several terrible combats with the 
g'iant^ and having- finally vanquished him^ attacks 
the drag-on^ and succeeds in killing- it. During* the 
strug-g-le the dwarfs and cobolds of the mountain 
escape^ carrying- off at the same time the g-reat 
treasure of the King- of the Nibelung-en entrusted to 
their keeping-. Finally^ however^ it falls ag-ain into 
Sig-frid's hands^ who^ after having- delivered the 
beautiful Kriemhild^ of course marries her^ but on this 
occasion the dwarf Eng-el " prophecies Sig-frid^s 
early and cruel death. The poem alludes afterwards 
to the legends contained in the first part of the Nibe- 
lung-enlied. We find a translation of it in the second 
volume of Hag-en's und Primisser's Heldenbuch." 

Among- the old popular song^s treating- on the 
third^ the East Gothic Era^ and on the adventures 
of its principal hero^ Dietrich von Bern/' we men- 
tion here ^^Ecken Ausfahrf' (^^ Eg'g'enKed'^) and 

King- Laurin." The former describes the adven- 
tures of Ecke/' who^ at the instig-ation of his friends 

Fasolt/' Ebenrot the Wild/' and three beautiful 



66 



queens^ leaves his home in order to fi^ht against 
Dietrich von Bern/' by whom he^ after many a 
murderous encounter^ is finally slain. Joseph von 
Lassberg* and Schonhut have published fragments of 
the Eggenlied/' We find it also in the first volume 
of " Hag-en's Heldenbuch/' published in the year 
1820. 

King Laurin" is a dwarf legend of the TyroL 
Laurin resides in a beautiful rose-garden^ inaccessible 
to anybody ] a silken thread encloses it on all sides^ 
and woe to him who tears it^ for he is sure -to lose 
either his hand or foot. Many a hero having thus 
lost his life^ ^' Dietrich von Bern and Wittich 
determine to punish the dwarf. They first encounter 
^' Dietlieb of Steiermark/' brother of the lovely 

Similde/' whom the cruel dwarf had carried ofF^ 
and then compelled her brother Dietheb" to serve 
under him. He and the treacherous imp^ having been 
vanquished^ the latter prepares a beverage which 
makes his conquerors fall into a death-like sleep^ and 
in this state of helplessness has them all thrown into 
prison. When Dietrich awakens^ his rage knows no 
bounds ; the legend informs us that his very breath 
changed into fire and flames_j by which his fetters 
are consumed. Then ensues a fearful struggle be- 
tween the heroes and the whole dwarfish communit}^ 

Dietheb " profits by this opportunity of deserting 
his master^ delivering his sister^ and conducting her 
home. King Laurin however is led to Verona/' 
where^ according to one account, he is said to have 



67 



ultimately become a Christian. Another poem based 
on this era^ and published in the 14th century^ Die 
Eabenschlacht/^ Battle of Eavenna^ deserves to be 
mentioned here. Scharf " and Ort/' sons of 
King- Etzel/^ leave their home to the great g-rief of 
their mother Helche/' in order to assist Dietrich'' 
in his strug-g'le ag'ainst his uncle Ermanrich." 
Arriving- at Ravenna^ " Dietrich/' having- pledg-ed 
his word to watch over the safety of Helche^s " 
children^ confides them and his o^n brother 

Dieter/' before leaving- for the scene of war^ to the 
care of Ilsan." The ardour of the young- heroes^ 
however^ is too g*reat^ they leave clandestinely^ meet 
the formidable g"iant Wittich/' who kills one of the 
brothers^ and then g-enerously offers to spare the life 
of the second. The latter^ however^ anxious to reveng-e 
his brother's death^ refuses to yield^ and meets also 
i^dth his death. Dieter " is likewise killed. When 

Dietrich'' hears of their death^ he becomes almost 
frantic with rag-e^ advances to attack ^^Wittich^" 
who^ instead of showing- fig'ht^ jumps into the 
sea^ where he is saved by the mermaid Wachilt." 
Then follows the mourning- of Queen Helche" 
for the death of her sons^ whose bones are bleach- 
ing- on yonder bleak heath over which the ravens are 
hovering-/' words used by ^^Eiidig-er/' when informing- 
the poor mother of her children's untimely death. 
She then addresses bitter reproaches to Dietrich," 
for not having- watched over them as he had promised, 
but seeing- how deeply and sincerely that hero himself 

F 2 



68 



bewailed their loss she ultimately forgives him. The 
poem of the Battle of Eavenna is contained in the 
second volume of von der Hagen's and Primisser's 
Heldenbuch/^ Ettmiiller" also published the same 
in a fragmentary form in the year 1846. 

Let us now^ in conchiding* our remarks on the 
legends of this era^ say a few words of another epic 
belonging- to it^ called the Eosengarten zu Worms/' 
a poem abounding in eccentricities^ and most per- 
plexing to the philologist^ on account of the wonder- 
fully confused manner in which events^ dates^ and 
individualities are mixed together. Kriemhild; again 
the heroine of the subject^ owns a beautiful garden^ 
called the Eosengarten zu Worms/' the keeping of 
which is entrusted to Sigfrid and the principal Bur- 
gundian knights. Gibbich/' Kriemhild's father^ 
had promised to him who should force an entrance 
into this garden^ several rich rewards^ among which 
a wreath of roses^ and above all a kiss from Kriem- 
hild's fair lips were those most coveted by the gallant 
swains. Dietrich von Bern/' following the advice 
of his master-of-arms_5 Hildbrand/' leaves his home 
to obtain the tempting prize. The most charac- 
teristic and somewhat comical figure in the poem is 
monk Ilsan/' Hildbrand's brother. Once a warrior 
himself^ he had for many years past changed the 
busy life of the world for the solitude of the convent. 
He is now appealed to by Dietrich/' who^ on the 
point of leaving for his expedition^ stands in need of 
the coroperation of another combatant. It is mid- 



69 



nig*ht. A knock is heard at the door of the convent. 

What's the matter/' cries Ilsan^ just starting* from 
his sleep. Sir/' replies a monk who had stepped 
to the window^ I see an old warrior^ carrying* three 
wolves on his shield and a g-oMen serpent on his 
helmet." That's my brother Hildbrand/' exclaims 
Ilsan. But/' continues the monk at the win- 
dow^^ near him stands a young* man of g*ig-antic size^ 
mounted on a splendid charg*er^ carrying- the Hon on 
his shield." That's my brother Dietrich/' says 
Ilsan. The door is opened^ at first they are coldly 
received ] but when Ilsan hears of the object of their 
errand^ that they are going* 

" To see the river Ehine, 
Where dwells the maiden fine," 

the warlike spirit of the monk is roused ag-ain^ 
he throws away his hood and the old armour 
worn in many a previous battle^ which had never 
left him during* his seclusion in the convent^ becomes 
now visible under his vestments. Ilsan^ having- 
received permission from his superiors^ then sets out^ 
followed by the maledictions of the other monks, to 
whom he had always been a great bully. Once on 
the road^ the gloomy fi^iar becomes quite sprightly^ 
plays the most extraordinary pranks^ rolls himself 
on the grass^ in shorty exhibits that peculiar exube- 
rance of spirits so well defined by Goethe in these 
lines : 

" Ihm ward kannibalisch wohl, 
Wie fiinf hundert Saiien," 



70 



lie arrives at Worms, obtains the sweet reward 
from Kriemhild, whose face however is rendered 
almost sore, owing* to the intensity with which the 
bearded monk inflicts the " baiser de rig-ueur" on the 
lovely maiden^s rosy cheeks. After this performance 
he returns to the convent with his rose wreaths, the 
thorns of which he forces into the monks' heads, in 
order to repay them with interest for their kind wishes 
expressed at his departure. When they ultimately 
refuse to lend him their spiritual assistance, he quietly 
ties their beards tog'ether, and suspends the poor friars 
on a long- pole, like so many sparrows, all in a row. 
Monk Ilsan has for centuries remained a favourite 
character in our early history, a fact to which the 
woodcuts of the 15th century bear ample testimony. 
The poem was written before the year 1295. W. 
Grimm published an excellent translation of it in 
the year 1836, and it is also contained in the second 
volume of Hag-en's and Primisser's Heldenbuch.'' 

GUDEUN. 

The leg-ends of the fifth era, called the Northern 
German, Danish, Friesian, Normanic, alludes to the 
maritime life of Northern Germany, and the myste- 
ries of the vast ocean which borders it. This cycle 
is represented in our literature by the epic poem of 

Gudrun," which, next to the Nibelung-en,^' occu- 
pies so prominent a place in our ancient literature, 
that competent judg-es have called it Die Neben- 
sonne/' that is, the reflection of that g-reat epic poem. 



71 



Let us remember that these earliest productions of 
our literature are the real standard by which we can 
judg-e correctly the character of the Teutonic race ^ 
the purest life-blood of the nation flows throug'h 
them^ they are the mirrors wherein we see reflected 
those qualities which have formed^ and let us hope 
always will form so transcendent a feature in the cha- 
racter of the Teutonic race 3 loyalty^ g'ood faith, since- 
rity^ devotedness and kindness^ (die deutsche Treue^ 
Milde und Dankbarkeit) find therein their truest and 
purest representatives. The poem of Gudrun'' em- 
braces three g-enerations^ that of Hag'an/^ king- of 
Ireland; of ^^Hettel/' king- of Friesland^ and of ^^Gud- 
run/' Hettel's'^ daughter. The various Germanic 
races have preserved the song* of Horant" the ^^Sto- 
marnking-/' who^ with the warlike chiefs Frute" 
and " Wate/' were sent as ambassadors to Hag-an's 
court; in order to sue^ in the name of their master 
king- Hettel/' for the hand of the lovely Hilda/' 
Hag-an's" daug-hter. Horant/' possessing- a 
most beautiful voice^ moves by its melody the heart 
of the fair Hilda/' who becomes Hettel's'^ wife. 
They had two children^ Ortwin" and Gudrun." 
When the latter has g-rown up, a certain Norman 
prince of the name of Hartmut/' asks her in mar- 
riag-C; but owing- to an inveterate enmity existing* 
between the Friesian and Normannic races^ his offers 
are rejected. King- Her wig-" of Sealand/^ more 
successful; is betrothed to Gudrun 

Da ward getraut die Schone, dem Eecken jetzt zur Stund, 
Der sie sollte kronen, und ihm ward von ihr kund 



72 



Missmutli so wohl wie Freude, man gab sie ihm zmii Weibe 
Das spurten bald im Kampfe, viel wackere Eecken selbst au 
ihrem Leibe. 

Immediately afterwards father and bridegroom are 
compelled to leave for a distant war^ and during- their 
absence the disappointed Hartmut" and his father 

Ludwig" attack Hettel's" castle and succeed in 
carrying olf Gudrun.'' When informed of the 
dastardly deed, Hettel" and Herwig" at once 
return, accompanied by their heroic chiefs, among 
whom Wate" is foremost, they overtake their 
treacherous foes near a place called Der Wulpen- 
sand" or ^' Wulpenweide," an island in the German 
Ocean. Here a terrific battle ensues, and just when 
the sun is setting Hettel" is slain by Ludwig,'' 
the Norman king. Wate" then continues the 
combat, but when nig'ht has set in, the Normans 
succeed in escaping with their prey, poor Gudrun." 

Wate'' having lost nearly all his men is unable to 
pursue them, silently and mournfully he returns to 
the castle, he so often had entered before as con- 
queror, in order to communicate the sad tidings to 

Gudrun's" mother " Hilda" : 

O weh ! welch grimmes Leiden, spracb des Konig's "Weib, 
"Wie ist von mir gewichen, mein Herz der giisse Leib ; 
Der macht'ge Eecke Hettel, meine Ehre muss nun schwinden^ 
TJnd sie ist aucb verloren ! Mein Auge wird Gudrun nicht 
wieder finden ! 

Gudrun is then conducted to Ludwig's castle, where 
queen Sigelinda" at first receives her kindly, but 
Boon alters her tone, when she finds " Gudrun" de- 



73 



termined to keep inviolate the faith she has pledg-ed 
to her beloved Herwig*." Nothing-^ not even the 
most cruel treatment she has to suffer^ can make her 
swerve from the path of dut}^ and virtue. She is oblig-ed 
to do the lowest menial work, to which she cheerfully 
submits rather than act ag'ainst the dictates of her 
conscience. Thus several years elapse^ during* which 
the Friesian heroes have made the most strenuous 
efforts to repair their losses^ and to g'et ready an 
armed expedition for the delivery of Gudrun f at 
last they are able to start. After a long- and dan- 
gerous voyag'C; they reach an island^ from the most 
elevated part of which they discover the Norman 
coast^ giittering- in the morning' lig'ht^ blged sig'ht^ 
after so many toils and labours ! Gudrun had; on 
the eve of their arrival^ been sent as usual to the sea- 
shorC; here a nymph had appeared to her^ informing- 
her that her suffering's would now soon come to an 
end. Thus eng-ag'ed in conversation^ she had re- 
mained beyond the time allotted b}^ her cruel mistress. 
To punish her^ she is sent back to the dreary shore 
on the following' morning'^ barefooted and thinly 
dressed. On this very morning' her brother and her 
brideg-room Her wig'" arrive in a barg-e to reconnoi- 
tre tlie country^ they see poor Gudrun/^ cold and 
shivering'; her g-olden hair a play to the wild winds 
of heaven^ they approach and salute without recog*- 
nising' her. At last; when she sees the ring* on her 
brideg-room's fing'er, she can no long-er restrain her 
feeling'S; for she has recog-nized them at the first 



74 



glance. They are then informed of the cruel treat- 
ment which she^ for her lover's sake^ had suffered ; 
they refrain^ however^ from delivering- her then^ for 
according to the strict code of honour of those times^ 
it would have been deemed dishonourable in a knight 
to get by stealthy what he might have obtained by 
his good sword. They return in order to prepare for 
assaulting the castle that very night. Gudrun'' 
and her faithful companion in sufferings Hildburg^" 
watch the approach of their deliverers from the castle 
tower ; the moon shines bright^ and the steel helmets 
of the heroes can be seen glittering in the distance. 
Here the poem beautifully describes a dialogue 
between ^^Gudrun'' and " Hildburg/' in which the 
former weeps over the bloodshed and misery which 
for her sake is about to take place : 

Da sail sie reiclie Segel sich blahn auf der See, 
Da sprach die edle Jungfrau : " Nunist es erst mir weh." 
" Ach ! wehe mir Yerlasseiien, dass ich je ward geboren, 
Manchem wackeren Helden, gebt Leib uud Leben jetzt 
verloren." 

The storm now begins^ Ludwig^ the Norman king 
falls under the heavy blows of Herwig f Sige- 
linda'^ has already drawn the sword to revenge her 
husband's death on Gudrun^ who in her turn is saved 
by Hartmut." Sigelinda^' falls by the hand of 
the chief Wate/' Gudrun" having vainly inter- 
posed to save her life. When the combat is over all 
resentment ceases^ Gudrun'' is joined to Her- 
wig." Hartmut/^ the Norman king; marries 



75 



Hildbiirg'/' the faithful companion of Gudrun 
during- her captivity and suifering-s^ and " Ortwin/' 
^' Gudrun's" brother, is joined to Hartmut's sister^ 
" Ortrun/^ The last traces of their dissensions are 
effaced by an alliance between ^^Herwig-^' and 

Ortwin/' by which they take a pledg-e to defend 
each other ag'ainst any aggressor : 

Ortwin und Herwig schwuren jetzt zusammen, 
Einander stete Treue dass sie ihr Fiirstenamt, 
WoUten in hohen Ehren und preiswiirdig tragen, 
"Wer ihnen schaden wollte, den wollten beide fangen und 
erschlagen. 

Whilst in the Nibelung-en-lay we sympathize with 
the unutterable g-rief of Kriemhild/^ our moral 
feeling's condemn the act which makes her commit so 
fearful a reveng-e. In Gudrun^ however^ we see a 
pattern of every womanly virtue^ P^^i'ity^ gentleness 
and resignation^ who when restored to her former 
position^ effaces the last traces of the past^ by doing- 
good to those who persecuted her in the hour of her 
misfortunes. In the Nibelung-en the sun sets 
gloomily among hatred^ strife and bloodshed^ in 
Gudrun it leaves us shedding its benign rays over 
the country around in calm majesty and peace. For 
the preservation of this poem we are indebted to 
the Emperor Maximihan I.^ who had it inscribed 
on parchment and preserved in the imperial li- 
brary of Ambas^ in the Tyrol. Gervinus and Keller^ 
two eminent German philologists; have in modern 



76 



times translated this second pearl of our early epic 
poetry. 

SIXTH ERA. 

Of the 6th Era^ called the Lombardian, the poems 
of king' Eother/' king- Otnit/' and of Hug- 
and Wolfdietrich" deserve to be mentioned. Kin^ 
" Rother" residing- at Bari" in Apulia/' sends 
twelve knig'hts to the Emperor Constantine^ whose 
daughter he is anxious to marry. Whilst neg-otia- 
tions are carried on for this purpose at Constanti- 
nople^ ^^Rother/' somewhat impatient^ suddenly 
appears in that town^ where by stratag-em and force 
he obtains possession of the fair princess, and carries 
her off. The Turks, however, succeed in delivering* 
her, but after a second battle, Rother," throug-h 
the co-operation of a host of g-iants, proves victo- 
rious, and gains finally permanent possession of 
the object of his wishes. The poem, althoug-h of a 
secondary order, is not without some literary merit. 

The legend of Otnit dates from a more remote 
orig-in. Otnit/' ardently loves the daug-hter of a 
heathen king-, but like all the knig-htly swains of 
that period has to fig-ht for his love. He vanquishes 
however all obstacles, leads the lovely maiden home, 
has her baptized and called Sidrat," and then 
lives with her many years happy and prosperous at 

Garda.'^ 

The leg-end of Hug and Wolfdietrich" is inter- 
w^oven with that of Otnit." Like his predecessors^ 
Hugdietrich loves a fair princess, enters her father's 



?7 

castle in disg-uise and elopes with her. Hugdietrich^s 
son Wolfdietrich/' having' been deprived of his in- 
heritance by his brothers^ declares war ag-ainst them ; 
but in the strug-g'le his bravest and most faithful 
adherents are either killed or made captives. The 
poem describes in g-lowing- terms^ Wolfdietrich's" 
g'rief at the loss of his friends^ another instance of 
the heartfelt and sincere attachment shown by the 
old chiefs towards their allies and adherents_j fidelity 
having" always been a striking- feature in their cha- 
racter. After many encounters with giants and 
drag-ons^ he meets Otnit/' vanquishes liim^ and 
becomes finally his ally. When Wolfdietrich'^ 
some time afterwards^ sets out for a pilg-rimag-e 
to Jerusalem^ Otnit/' receives from his trea- 
cherous father-in-law two young- drag-ons^ by whom 
he is ultimately devoured. This part of the poem 
is rich in touching" episodes^ and describes the 
attachment shown to Otnit" during' his combats 
with the drag'ons by his faithful horse and dog\ 
When returning" from his pilg-rimag-e^ Wolfdie- 
trich" reveng-es Otnit's" death^ obtains his cele- 
brated breastplate called Brilnne/^ mentioned in the 

Eg-g-enhed/^ and finally marries the widow Sid- 
rat." After this he vanquishes his brothers^ delivers 
his captive friends^ and having* finally ^delded his 
empire to his son Hug'dietrich/' called thus after 
his g"randfatlier^ he enters a convent and is said to 
have died during- a nig-htly combat with the spirits. 

These Lombardian leg-ends^ of which the authors 



78 



are unknown^ form part of the celebrated Helden- 
buch." 

We now approach a period when our literature 
having- lost that essentially national character^ which 
had hitherto disting-uished it^ beg-an to move in a 
foreig*n sphere. Having-^ on a previous occasion^ 
enumerated the cycles on which our earliest national 
leg-ends are founded^ I shall now^ in the same 
manner^ indicate the various literary groups^ consti- 
tuting- that era^ which on account of its more refined 
character^ has been denominated that of the Kunst- 
epos'^ (Aesthetic poetry.) 

To the FiEST of these g-roups belong- the French 
leg-ends of Charlemag'ne^ also called the Carlo ving-ian 
era^ including- the EolandsHed/' " Die Eonceval- 
schlacht'' and Wilhelm von Oranse." The second 
contains the leg-ends of the Holy Graal/^ or 

Graalsag-e/' on which the trilog-y Parcival/' 

Loheng-rin'' and Titurel" is founded. The thied 
embraces the leg-ends of the Celtic tribes^ the an- 
cient Britons and Welsh^ those of king* Artus/' 
and the knig-hts of the Round Table^ including- 

Tristan'^ and ^^solt;' by Gottfried von Stras- 
bourg-/' Erec and Iwein" by Hartmann von der 
Aue/' and ^' Wig-alois" by Grafenberg-.'^ 

The FOURTH contains all the leg-ends based on 
ancient poems^ such as the Trojan war^ Yirg-il's 
jS^neas^ by Heinrich von Veldekin^ and Lamprecht's 
Alexander the Great. The leg-ends of the fifth 
g-roup bear an essentially saintly character. 



79 



FIRST GROUP. 

ESTHETIC POETRY; DAS KUNSTEPOS. 

The Oarlovingian era^ is almost exclusively repre- 
sented in our poetry by the Ronceval battle^ or 
Rolandslied. Grown orig'inally in the soil of France^ 
the poetical seeds have been scattered over many 
countries^ for independently of several French ver- 
sionS; we possess a Latin^ English^ German^ and 
Icelandic account of the leg"end. The Rolandslied 
itself is founded on an event; occurring* between the 
years 777 and 778^ of comparatively little import- 
ance. Eginhard/' the secretary of Charlemag'ne; 
relates^ that in the year 777^ an embassy was sent 
by the g'overnor of Caesaris Aug-usta^ now Sarag^ossa^ 
to PaterborU; where Charlemag-ne resided^ in order 
to demand assistance ag^ainst Emir Abdaraman. 
CharleS; having- complied with the request^ leaves 
for Spaiu; subdues the country as far as Sarag-ossa^ 
but in the midst of his victories he is informed that 
the Saxons have broken out in rebellion under their 
chief Wittekind/' and massacred Charles's g-reat 
chief Hruodlandus.'^ Out of these scanty mate- 
rials romanic poetry has erected one of its loftiest 
monuments^ a convincing- proof that the respective 
merits of the poems and legends of antiquity cannot 
be measured by the events on which they are based; 
for the historical element; independently of its being- 
confused and contradictor}^; is in most cases of a 
very subordinate nature. We must therefore; not 
lt)ok to the eventS; but to the character of the 



80 



nation described therein , and in this respect these 
early poems reflect most faithfully the national 
mind ; in reading* them we hear as it were the beat- 
ing* of the nation's heart. A priest of the name of 
"Conrad/' translated the subject from a French 
orig'inal^ at the instig*ation of Duke Henry the 
Lion^ between the years 1172 and 1177. The 
poem beg'ins thus : 

Creator of all things, emperor of all kings, 
Thou highest priest and judge, teach me thy words, 
Send unto me thy holy law, that I may shun falsehood, 
And write down the truth of a beloved man, how he won 

God's kingdom, that's Charles the Emperor, 
Now with Grod, with whose help he overcame many a heathen 
country, and thus did honour to the Christians. 

" Schbpfer aller Dinge, Kaiser^aller Konige, wol du oberster 
Priester und Eichter (Ewart) lehre mich selbst deine Worte, 
sende mir zu Munde, deine heilige Urkunde, dass ich die Llige 
vermeide, die Wahrheit schreibe, von einem theuerlichen Mann, 
wie er das Grottesreich gewann, das ist Karl der Kaiser, vor 
Gott ist er, denn er mit Gott iiberwand viel manch heidnischo 
Land, damit er die Christen hat geehrt." 

The following* is the subject of the Rolandslied. 
Charles^ followed by a g*reat army^ leaves for Spain 
to subdue the heathen. Having* advanced as far 
as Sarag'ossa^ he receives a messag*e from king* 

MarsiHe/' who^ closely pressed and following* the 
advice of the old sag*e " Blanscandiz/' offers his 
submission^ expressing* at the same time the wish of 
becomings a Christian. His real desig'n^ however^ 
is to deceive Charles^ and ultimately to betray th^; 



81 



small detachment of troops^ which the latter^ trust- 
ing- in Marsilie^s professions^ would have left behind. 
Roland^ OHvier^ Turpin and Nairn es^ his great 
chiefs^ at once perceive the snare^ and warn their 
master to be on his g-uard. Genelun^ Eoland^s step- 
father, however^ declares in favour of Marsilies' 
offers^ upon which the chiefs express their readi- 
ness to proceed to the court of the heathen king*. 
Charles, how^ever, objects to their g'oing' thither. 
Roland then sug-g-ests that Genelun should be sent, 
at which the latter feels very indignant, knowing 
well that such an errand would be certain death 
to him. He however leaves, with the treacherous 
Blanscandiz, attended by 700 chosen men. Once 
on their road, both enter into a conspu'acy against 
Roland. Having arrived, king Marsilie at the 
advice of Blanscandiz, accepts unconditionally all 
the offers made by Charles. Genelun, the traitor, 
then returns to the court of the emperor, and ha^dng 
recommended Roland as the fittest governor for Spain, 
the latter leaves, attended by a very small army. 
Having set foot on Spanish gTound, he is attacked 
by the overwhelming' numbers of the treacherous 
heathen ; three times he repulses them, but new levies 
constantly advance against the small band of the 
Christian heroes. A fourth terrific battle ensues, 
and when it is raging fiercest, Roland seizes his 
ivory bugle, called ^^Olifant," its mighty sounds 
drown the battle cries, and reach Charles' ears at a 

G 



82 



great distance. He at once starts to succour his 
devoted friends, but his bravest chiefs^ Ohvier^ Tuc- 
pin and Eoland^ have fallen meanwhile like heroes. 
The latter^ when already in a dying state^ seizes his 
battle-sword Durandarte/' in order to break it 
ag^ainst the rock, so that it might not fall into 
heathen hands. Nothing however will prevail against 
the old blade^ as long as the hero grasps it in 
his hands. Eoland then recommends his soul to 
God^ offers a last prayer for his emperor^ and dies. 
Then follows the revenge of the victorious Charles 
on the heathen^ the mourning song of Eoland^ and 
the punishment of the traitor Genelun^ who is con- 
demned to be torn to pieces^ a sentence carried 
into execution in the market place at Aix-la- 
Chapelle. We possess another poem of this era^ 
formerly called Breimunt/' and now ^^Karlmainet.^' 
Wilhelme von Oranse/' a work of great literary 
merit^ belongs to the same period ; it is founded on 
the events of the epoch of Louis the Pious^ and de- 
rived from a "Welsh original^ which Landgraf 
Herrmann of Thuringia had procured for the poet. 
Wolfram v. Eschenbach^ published a fragment of 
the poem j its language is highly graphic^ but the 
subject itself of a subordinate character. We must 
not omit mentioning here the popular legend called 
the Heimonskinder/' in which the various struggles 
between Charlemagne and his vassals are described. 
The poem of Flos und Blankfloss/' (Fleur et 
Blanchefieur); alludes to the adventures of the 



83 



maternal ancestor of Charlemag'ne^ and dates from 
the middle of the 13th century^ it is ascribed to 
Konrad v. Flecke^ who draws therein a beautiful 
picture of true love^ between Flos^ the son of a pag-an 
king-^ and BlankfloS; a Christian maiden. 

EErEEENOES. 

Bolandslied or, Battle of Bonceval^^ 
Thesaurus, by Scliilter. Euolanduslied, by W. Grrimm. 
La chanson de Eoland u de Eoncevaux, par F. Michel. 
1837. Kellers Alt-franzosische Sagen. I. 59. 

Kaelmainet. 

Fragments of Karlmainet, published by Lachmann in the 
Abhandlungen der Berliner Academic derWissenschaften, ] 836; 
also contained in Massmann's Denkmalern, pp. 155 57, and in 
Beneckes Beitragen, Yol. II. pp. 611-18, under the title of 
Briemunt. 

WlLHELM VON OeANSE, 

Casparson, 1782. 
Lachmann, 1833. 
Eeuss Fragment eines alten Gedichts von den Heldenthaten 
der Kreuzfahrer im heiligen Lande. 1839. 

Flos und Blankelos. 

Konrad von Flecke translated the poem from a French ori- 
ginal of Euprecht von Orbent. 1230. 

Emil Sommer's Flore und Blanscheflur, eine erzahlung von 
Konrad v. Flecke. 1846. 



G 2 



84 



SECOND GROUP. 

GRAALSAGE. 

According to the legend^ the holy Graal or cha- 
lice^ a g*em of the most costly description^ possessed 
mysterious properties^ and represented the higher 
Spiritual life. No harm^ it was said^ befel him who 
gazed at it^ as eternal youth was the portion of those 
to whose keeping the jewel was entrusted. Every 
Friday a white dove descended from heaven to 
place the host in the sacred vessel. To be its 
guardian was considered the greatest honour. Ti- 
turel/' the son of some fabulous king of Anjou^ built 
a magnificent temple for the keeping of this won- 
derful gem. It was of a circular form^ surrounded 
by 72 chapels^ each of which was surmounted by 
a high tower ; the roof and altarpiece were of the 
most costly description ] sparkling diamonds^ repre- 
senting sun and moon^ formed the dome. Only the 
pure in heart were allowed to approach the sanc- 
tuary^ and there is no doubt that the origin of 
the order of the Templars is connected with the 
myth of the holy Graal. It forms the principal 
subject of Wolfram v. Eschenbach's ^^Parcival/' 
Titurel/' and " Lohengrin.'' Of this trilogy 
ParcivaF' possesses the liighest literary merit. 
Whilst in the Artus" legends a description of purely 
worldly events is given^ we possess in those of 
the Graal the embodiment of the struggles be- 



85 



tween mind and matter^ g-ood and evil. This is 
exemplified by Parcival/' a man who^ after 
haying- strayed irom the path of righteousness and 
renounced his Creator^ retraces his steps when just 
on the brink of the abyss which is to eng-ulf 
him for ever^ who redeems the errors of the past^ by 
devoting- himself with a repenting- heart to all that 
is g"ood^ pure^ and virtuous. 

The following" is an outline of the poem. Parci- 
val/^ the son of G-amuret/' of the royal house of 
Anjou^ after having- lost his father at an early 
ag'C; had been brought up by an affectionate 
mother in the solitade of the woods far away from 
the dwellings of men. One day he sees splendidly 
dressed knights pass throug'h the forest^ he is struck 
with wonder and amazement^ for he had never before 
seen the face of any other human being- but that of 
his mother. At this sio-ht new sensations are kin- 
died within him^ for he has meanwhile g-roA\Ti up a 
splendid youth. Nothing- can now restrain him from 
seeing with his own e^^es those distant countries^ and 
to accomplish those deeds of which he had heard so 
much. His mother's tears flow in vain^ he leaves^ 
and arrives at the Court of King- Artur/' where his 
splendid bearing- and skill in manly exercises excite 
g-eneral admiration. Here he is informed of a certain 
princess^ whose castle is besieged by her rebellious 
subjects 3 he delivers her and obtains her hand. Soon 
afterwards, his heart lono;s to see aofain his dear 
mother^ whom he had left so suddenly. On his way 
thither he arrives one night at a beautiful castle^ and 



86 



enters it. In a magnificent hall 400 knights are seated 
on rich velvet cushions. One of them_, occupying* the 
most prominent seat^ attracts the attention of every 
one^ he is wrapped in costly furS; but intense suffering* 
and grief are depicted in his countenance. It is King 
Anfortas/' and his castle is the fortress in which 
the holy Graal is kept : 

At length appeared the queen alone, 

A light from her sweet features shone, 

As when, at the approach of day, 

Shines, though the clouds, the sun's bright ray ! 

Upon a cushion soft and fair 

Of finest silk that Persia wove. 

She bore that treasure, rich and rare, 

AH earthly joy or bliss above ! 

To which no mortal dare aspire ! 

Above the reach of aU desire, 

The Holy Graal!* 

After a splendid banquet " ParcivaF' retires to 
rest. On the following morning he finds his horse 
saddled^ but not a human being in the castle. On 
the point of leaving he hears the sneering voice of a 
dwarf reproaching him for not having asked after the 
cause of all he had seen^ for it was only by a question 
of that kind that the spell of King Anfortas^^ would 
be broken and he again restored to health. He leaves 
and meets his cousin Sigune/' who also taunts him 
with his neglect. Continuing his road^ he all at 
once sees three drops of blood in the snow ^ at this 
sight he grows melancholy^ and feels an irresistible 

* Madame Davesies de Pontes, Poets and Poetry of Ger- 
many." 



87 



long'ing^ for all those dear to his heart. His mother, 
however^ having* died of a broken hearty he is never 
destined to see ag*ain ! After many adventures^ he 
returns to the Court of King- Artur^ where an enchan- 
tress curses him a second time for not having* broken 
the spell of King- Anfortas. At last a great chang-e 
is operated within him^ henceforth he determines to 
devote himself heart and soul to the defence of the 
holy Graal by becoming- a better man^ and he 
succeeds ; for after many adventures^ dang-ers^ and 
sacrifices^ and having- rendered himself fit and 
W' orthy for that holy office^ he is a second time ad- 
mitted to the mysterious castle^ where this time he 
does not omit to ask the question on which so much 
depended. Anfortas is restored to healthy and Par- 
cival meets ag'ain his wife and children, of whom the 
eldest Loheng-rin, succeeds him on the throne. 

Wolfram, Knig-ht v. Eschenbach, the author of 
Parcival, was born in the 12th century, in the small 
town of Eschenbach, near Aiispach, in Bavaria. 
Under the fostering' care of the Landgrave of Thu- 
ringia, a prince of a hig*hly cultivated mind, he 
composed his two principal poems, Parcival" and 
Willehalm,'^ at a castle near Eisenach, called the 
Wartburg. 

Eschenbach's Titurey also called " Tschiona- 
tulandus,'^ and Sigame,^' a poem likewise based on 
the Graal leg-end, appeared only in a frag-mentary 
shape. It belong-s to the most successful specimens 
of ancient aesthetic poetry. 



88 



" Lohengrin/' but distantly related to the Graal 
cycle^ is very deficient in its historical character^ and 
describes the fabulous adventures of Lohengrin^ the 
minstrels' war at the Wartburg*^ Lohengrin's cam- 
paig-n in Germany^ his marriage with the Duchess of 
Brabant^ whom he ultimately abandons^ when this 
lady insists on being- informed of his origin. This 
excess of anxiety on the part of the Duchess of 
Brabant must be rather g-ratifying* io the ladies in 
g-eneral^ for it proves^ that if inquisitiveness is a fail- 
ing- at all^ it is one for which they^ on account of its 
hereditary character^ can hardly be held responsible. 

Loheng-rin/' far inferior to Parceval" in a lite- 
rary point of vieW; g-ives a g-raphic description of the 
manners of those times. The myth about g-iants 
rising- from the depth of the sea^ of swans under- 
g-oing- various transformations^ which pervades the 
Graalsag*e^ we meet in the leg-ends of the Saxons^ 
Danes^ Guelphs^ and Franks^ as well as in those 
founded on the Carloving-ian era^ of which Grimm, 
in his " Kinder and Hausmarchen/^ draws such a 
charming and truly national picture. 

LiTEEAET EefEEENCES. 

Joseph Gorres, " Einleitung zum Lohengrin." 

San Marte (Schulz.) *'Leben und Dichten "Wolframs v. Es- 
dienbach," 2, p. 357, Simrock's Uebersetzung des Parcival.'* 

The Piradwr ab Efrawe, in the Mabinogion, translated by 
Lady C. Guest. Sulpiz Boisseree '^Ueber die Beschreibung des 
Tempels des heiligen Graals." 

Yilmars " Geschichte der deutschen Literatur/' 



89 



"Titurel," published by Docen, 1810. 
" Poesie Provencale," vol. 2, p. 209. 
Lachmann's " Wolfram v. Eschenbach." 

The leg'end of the holy Graal is interwoven with that 
of King- ArtuS; or the Knig"hts of the Eound Table. 

THIED GROUP. 

Artus resides with his beautiful wife Ghwen- 
hwy war/' at Kaerlleon^ (castle Leon) on the Usk^ in 
AVales. Twelve knig-hts^ the best and most noble in the 
land^ form the centre of his court ; seated at a round 
table^ they dail}^ meet in order to discuss the affairs of 
the land^ and to watch over the honour and rights of 
all. There existed no greater honour than that of 
belonging to King' Arthur's com-t^ no greater dis- 
grace than that of being dismissed from it. From 
their central abode the knights of Arthur went 
about the countr^^^ in search of adventures^ for the 
protection of women^ to punish wrong doers^ disen- 
chant the enchanted^ or to fight against giants and 
dwarfs. The various Welsh^ French and German 
legends of this era describe these adventiu-es, the 
principal scenes of which occurred in the Broch- 
allean^ forest of Solitude^ bearing still this name 
in Brittan}^ The original Welsh version^ rather 
confused^ bears unmistakeably the stamp of the 
age in which it was written ; the French account is 
more arranged^ a certain tone of refinement of style 
pervading it. In Germany^ they were made known 
for the first time in the 12th century 3 the contra- 
dictory versions given of these highly interesting 



90 



legends^ must be attributed to the various transla- 
tions made at different times. The principal heroes 
of this era^ bearing* so closely upon British his- 
tory are : Parcival (Peredur)^ Lohengrin^ Tristan^ 
Iwain^ Eric; Gawain^ Wigalois^ Wigamur^ Gauriel^ 
and Lanzelot. 

The leg-ends of Celtic orig-in are not only remark- 
able for their confusion with reg-ard to dates and 
events^ but also for an utter want of propriety and 
decency of tone. This may^ in some measure^ be 
attributed to the frivolous manner in which they 
had been treated and chang-ed by various writers^ 
yet they must have orig-inally borne that character 
to a g-reat extent. Gottfried von Strassburg-^ a 
man of unquestionable genius^ draws^ in his two cele- 
brated poems Tristan'' and ^^Isolt;" a physio- 
log"ical tableau^ perhaps unequalled for g-raphic 
description and truth^ but evincing* at the same time 
a cynicism of immodesty which baffles all description^ 
and has not been equalled even by certain writers of 
the modern school. We must^ therefore^ abstain 
from entering* into its details. Gottfried von Strass- 
burg* not being* able to finish the poem^ Ulrich von 
Thiirheim and Heinrich von Freiburg* have subse- 
quently continued it^ althoug*h with much less success. 
Eilhart von Oberg* treated the same subject in the 
12th century ; subsequently it suffered various alter- 
ations. Karl Immermann has published it in mo- 
dern times. 

Of the remaining* poems of the Artus cycle, we 
mention two of considerable literary merit, " Eric" 



91 



and Iwein/' by Hartmann von der Aue^ written 
towards the end of the 12th century. The former 
still bears the stamp of its Celtic orig*in^ the latter^ 
however^ is a pattern of elegant and graceful lan- 
guage 3 the subject itself is subordinate^ but the tone 
strictly moral throughout. The remaining poems 
of this cycle may be considered as mere imitations 
of the writings of Hartmann von der Aue 3 they pos- 
sess little literary merit. Among them we mention : 
^^Wigalois/' by Wirnt von Grafenberg^ (1^1^); 

Lanzelot vom See/' by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven^ 
(1192), '^^Wigamur/' or ^^The Knight with the 
Eagle/' Gabriel von Muntavel/' by Heinrich von 
dem Tiirlin, published towards the middle of the 13th 
century. 

LiTERAET EeFEEENCES. 

"Tristan," by Heinricli v. Freiberg, 1784; Eberhardt v. 
Groote, 1821 ; von der Hagen, 1823 ; Massmann, 1843. 

Iwein/' by Bennecke and Lachmann, 1821, 2nd. 1843. A 
translation of the poem by Count "Wolf Baudissin, 1845. 

TheMabinogian from the " Llyfr coch v. Hergest," Llandover, 
1838-1840. " Wigalois," by Q. F. Benecke, 1819. Wigalois, 
by Franz Pfeiffer, 1847. Count Baudissin's " Gruy von Waleis," 
1847. 

''Lanzelot," by K. A. Hahn. "Wigamur," by von der 
Hagen and Biisching. 



FOURTH GEOUP. 
The leg-ends of Alexander the Great^ belonging- to 
the fourth g-roup^ were written by the Priest Lam- 
precht^ probably Clerc Lambert; a French author^ 



92 



living" in the ISth century. Ulrich von Eschen- 
bach and Rudolph von Ems^ treated the same 
subject in the 13th century. Thepoem^ necessarily 
defective in its metrical form^ is very graphic in the 
description of events, and often reminds the reader 
of the style in the old " Hildbrandshed and 
Beowulf." Some of the wonders Alexander meets 
with are described in hig-hly poetical langnag-e. 
One day, whilst on his march, he arrives at an im- 
mense forest 5 g-ig-antic trees spread their branches 
far and wide, so as to prevent the sun from 
piercing* them. Every thing* is charming* and 
pleasurable here ; streams of the purest water flow 
in every direction, birds of the most variegated 
hues fill the air with their sweet songs, and larg*e 
pink and white flowers form the carpet of this deh- 
cious abode. These beautiful flowers open, when 
attaining* their maturity, and out of their chalices 
rise fairies of matchless beauty, who, after having* 
sprung* into life, ming*le their sweet voices with the 
melodious song's of the birds, and form graceful 
groups on the soft turf. Dressed in white and red, 
like the flowers from which they have sprung*, the 
children of the green forest solitude bloom and 
prosper whilst basking* in its refreshing shades, but 
when the sun touches them with its g*lowing* darts 
they fade away. Born in May, these children of 
spring are doomed to die in autumn. Alas, the three 
months of their happy existence rapidly g-lide away, 
for as the poet says : 



93 



Die Blumen all' verdarben, 
Die sdionen Magdlein starben 
Ihr Laub die Baume liessen 
Die Brunnen all' ihr Eliessen, 
Die Yogelein ihr Singen 
Die Preuden all' zergingen ! 

The legend of Aenaeas^ by Heinrich von Velde- 
kin^ appeared in the year 1184 in German^ it 
hears the stamp of the refined style then pre- 
vailing* at the court of the Landg-rave of Thuringia ; 
the lang-uag-e^ althoug-h polished^ g-raphic and cor- 
rect in its metre^ wants that hig-h classical colorite 
which we meet in Virgil's Aenseas. Of an equally 
subordinate character is^ Herbort's Liet von 
Troje/^ (the song- of the Trojan war)^ written at the 
beg-inning" of the 13th century. Conrad von Wlirz- 
burg", has treated the same subject with g-reater 
success 3 it was his last literary production^ and is 
disting-uished for elegance of lang-uag-e and purity 
of diction. 

FIFTH GROUP. 

The leg-ends^ pubhshed from the 12th to the 15th 
century^ bear^ as already stated^ a purely saintly cha- 
racter ; if they are here and there intermixed with 
the worldly^ the spiritual element decidedly pre- 
dominates. In reading- them we breathe a diffe- 
rent atmosphere, one of peace, and love 3 we no 
long-er hear the clang- of arms, the sounding- of the 
war trumpet, or the neig-hing- of the battle horse, 



94 



stamping" the ground with impatience^ as if urging on 
its rider to be led to the charge^ to those sanguinary 
encounters between the gladiators of the past. 'No, 
all has vanished^ to make room for combatants fight- 
ing on another battle field^ where instead of the 
agonizing cries of the wounded and dyings we hear 
hymns of praise addressed to the Eternal^ a nobler 
battle field^ on which the sincere and repentant are 
sure to obtain that victory_, which after the battle 
of life leads to the glory of a brighter world ! 
Of the legends belonging to this group^ the number 
of which is legion^ we mention that of " Eraclius/' 
by Otto^ written towards the middle of the 13th cen- 
tury after a Welsh model. Eraclius possesses the 
pecuhar gift of knowing the mysterious properties 
of stones, the qualities of horses and the secret 
thoughts of women. After the death of his mother, 
he, then a mere boy, enters the service of a rich 
Roman, belonging to the household of the emperor 
Phokas. His wonderful faculties having attracted 
general attention, he finds an opportunity of 
evincing his skill, by selecting for the emperor's wife 
a certain Lady Athenais, of humble origin, but pos- 
sessing all the qualities of the heart and mind. Soon 
after the marriage, the emperor is obhged to leave 
for some warlike expedition, and during his absence 
causes her to be shut up in a tower, a precaution 
by no means warranted by the conduct of his wife. 
This treatment, however, produces a different result 
(a fact to be borne in mind by all jealous husbands) 



95 



for AthenaiS; hitherto so faithful^ and aided by an 
old woman^ named Morphea,; finds now means to 
deceive her husband. After the emperor's return^ 
Eraclius is appealed to, and the secret is soon 
revealed. Athenais repents^ but is separated from 
her husband. Eraclius then rises rapidly to the 
highest dignities^ becomes finally emperor, and in a 
war with the Persians is said to have retaken the 
holy crosS; previously fallen into their hands. This 
event is celebrated among* Roman Catholics up to this 
day; by the feast of the raising- of the Host, also 
called Holy Roodday.'^ 

The leg-end of " Der g"ute Gerhard/' by Rudolph 
von EmS; g-ives a touching* account of Gerhard's 
extreme modesty^ charity^ humility^ and disinterested- 
ness. Emperor Otto the Red; had at the insti- 
g-ation of his excellent wifc; Ottog*ebe; founded some 
charitable institution; but his g'reat failing* is to 
boast constantly of this act. One day he is 
told that g'ifts bestowed in such a manner; are not 
pleasing* in the sig*ht of God; and at the same 
timC; the name of the humble Gerhard of Oolog-nC; 
is mentioned to him ; Otto expresses the desire of 
making* the acquaintance of that charitable and ex- 
cellent maU; he arrives at Colog*ne; has an interview 
with Gerhard; in which the latter; after much hesita- 
tion, explains why he obtained the by-name of der 
GutC;" the Kind one — how hC; in order to redeem 
some captive Eng*lish nobleman and a Norweg*ian 
prineesS; had sacrificed all his property; and watched 



96 



over the safety of the lady^ until her lover King; 
William of England^ supposed to have perished at 
sea during' a storm^ had finally returned to'Colog-ne^ 
how he had refused the most brilliant offers made to 
him by that king-^ and accepted for his only reward 
a ring- from the queen for the sake of her sweet rosy 
lips. The modesty and humility shown on this 
occasion^ by Gerhard^ produced a deep impression on 
the mind of Otto^ who^ since that time acknowledg"ed 
that g'ifts^ in order to be pleasing- in the sig-ht of God^ 
oug-ht to be bestowed secretly and not with pomp 
and display^ for the sake of dazzling* the eyes of the 
vulg-ar-minded. 

Another work of Rudolph von Ems^ of less merit^ 
is his Wilhelm von Dourlens or Orlienz/' a story of a 
prince of Brabant^ and taken from a Welsh orig-inal. 
We also mention^ the poems of Darifant/^ Deman- 
tin/^ and Crane/' by Berthold von HoUe^ written 
towards the middle of the 13th century } the leg-end of 
emperor Otto the Bearded/' by Conrad von Wiirz- 
burg-, ^^King- Albrecht and Adolph von Nassau/' two 
historical poems, also Meier Helmbreeht/' by Wer- 
ner the Gardener, and the poem of Duke Ernst/' at- 
tributed to Heinrich von Veldekin. The leg-end on 
which the latter is based was known before 1180 ; we 
possess only two frag-ments of it, published towards 
the middle of the 13th century, and subsequently 
frequently altered. 

Duke Ernst is the son of the Bavarian duchess 
Adelheid, who ultimately, at his advice, marries the 



97 



Emperor "Otto the Red." Ernst having* been 
calumniated by the Count Palatine Heinrich slays 
him in the emperor's palace^ and then starts for J e- 
rusalem^ accompanied by his faithful follower Count 
Wetzel. On his way thither, Duke Ernst arrives one 
day, at a castle^ uninhabited like the Graal temple, but 
containing- all that is required to refresh the worn 
out crusaders ; the next morning- they see with sur- 
prise a numberless swarm of cranes surround the 
castle^ carrying* along- with them an Indian lady of 
matchless beauty, bathed in tears. In trying* to 
deliver her, Duke Ernst not only sustains serious 
losses, but has also the mortification of seeing* the 
captive lady cruelly killed by those spiteful cranes. 
Ernst and his men then embark, but their ship being*, 
during- its vo3^ag-e, irresistibly attracted by a mys- 
terious mag*netic rock, they are wrecked, and only 
Ernst and five of his attendants are saved, thanks 
to the providential arrival of larg-e sea-g'ulls, which 
carry them on their wing's to the shore. Ernst then 
continues his journey, meets the one-eyed g-iants, 
called " Arimaspians," for whose king- he fig*hts 
ag-ainst a tribe called " Flatfeet,'^ who run over 
heath and moor, impassable to horse and man , he 
also combats with a long--eared tribe (no donkeys), 
and finally ag-ainst a race of g'iants. After many 
miraculous adventures he returns home on a Christ- 
mas day, and is pardoned by the emperor. 

There exists, also, a poem of a comical character 
belonging- to the same g'roup, called " Solomon 
and Morolf." It is a dialog-ue between the former, 

H 



98 



the representative of all that is solemn^ grave^ and 
austerCj and the latter who turns all the wisdom of 
Solomon into ridicule. Morolf;, in this dialog'ue^ 
taunting-ly describes the manner in which he re- 
gained possession of his wife^ who^ at the instig-ation 
of the wise king*^ had deserted him. To the 
same categ-ory of poems^ belong*s also Strieker's 
Parson Amts/' on which the celebrated ^^Till 
Eulenspieg-el " has been founded. Amls^ supposed 
to be of Celtic descent^ is a thoroug-h scamp^ cheating* 
everybody and making- dupes everywhere^ be it in 
France^ England^ German}^^ or the far East. Of the 
leg-ends published in the middle of the 13th century, 
we mention Die g-oldene Schmiede/' by Conrad 
von Wiirzburg'^ "Der heilig-e Greg'or auf dem Steine/^ 
by Hartmann von der Aue, the leg*end of the holy 
Sylvester/' the holy Alexius/ Pilatus," and 
that of the Seamless Coat of Trier.'' The latter 
speaks of a certain king* Orendel, who leaves Trier, 
crosses the sea, is wrecked, and received by a fisher- 
man called Master " Eisen,'' in whose house he not 
only finds the miraculous coat, but also Lady Breda, 
a lovely girl guarded by the Knig-ht Templars. He 
marries her, and conducts the lady to Trier, where she 
dies soon afterAvards. The name of Orendel is fre- 
quently mentioned in the earliest chronics, for the 
Heldenbuch speaks already of a king- Erntelle and 
his wife Brig'itta ] and the northern Myth alludes to 
one Oervandil," who, having- been thrown by the 
God Thor" into the heavens, becomes one of the 
brip-ht stars ; the Anp-lo-Saxon word ^' Earendel" has 



99 



the same meaning-. We conclude this group with the 
"Annohed/' written 1170^ a leg-endary tale^ cele- 
brating- the life and wonders of the Archbishop Anno 
of Colog-ne (1045-1075). It is preceded by a poetical 
description of bibhcal and worldly events^ the style 
is very popular^ and often reminds the reader of our 
best epic poems of antiquit}' . 

Eefeeences. 

Lampreclits " Alexander," published by Massmann. 
Veldekins " Eneit," Miillerscbe Sammlung. 1784. 
Herberts von Pritzlar lied von Troye, by Frommann. 
" Grregor auf dem Steine," by Greith. Spieilegiuni 
Yaticanum. 1838. Tiie same by Lacbmann. 

Konrad's von'Wurzburg Sylvester," byWilhelm Grrimm. 

Sanct Alexius Leben/' by Massmann. 
Karl Simrock : Der ungenahte Eock oder Konig Orendel. 

Das Annolied," by Dr. Bezzenberger. 
" Eraclius,*' by Massmann. 

" Der arme Heinricb," by Grrimm, Lacbmann, Wacker^ 

nagel, Miiller, Haupt, and Simrock. 
" Der gute Gerbard," by Moritz, Haupt, and Simrock. 
*' Darifand und Demantin." Haupts Zeitscbrift. 
" Otto mit dem Barte," von Cuonrad von Wiirzeburc, by 

H. Habn. 

" Solomon und Morolf," by J. Grrimm, Yon der Hagen, 

and Biiscbing. 
" Der Pfaffe Amis," translated by Benecke and Berlit. 



H 2 



100 



The Minnegesang. 

I HAVE in my historical summary stated how pas- 
sionately the ancient Teutons loved those celebrated 
Bardenlieder/^ the true and genuine expression of 
all that past within the breasts of those childi*en of 
nature^ be it joy or g-rief. We know that Charle- 
mag-ne, who understood the Germans and their pre- 
dilections so well^ caused these song's to be carefully 
collected, so that they mig-ht be transmitted from 
g-eneration to g-eneration^ splendid sounds of the 
g-lorious past, wild flowers of the German heart, off- 
spring's of their g-reen forests, roug'h and knotty, but 
also fiill of sap and marrow, like the eternal oaks, 
their native trees ; song-s breathing* Heaven's purest 
breath, freedom, eternal, heavenly, unalienable free- 
dom! Glorious time when we were a nation! The 
trees which have sprung* from that same soil are 
still g-rowing" in Germania's holy forests, the same 
winds of heaven rustle throug'h their branches, the 
same father Rhine winds its silvery path throug'h 
blessed fields and lovely dales, the vine spreads in 
g-reen festoons along* its picturesque shores, and yet 
a feeling* of melancholy seizes the patriot in behold- 
ing' all these beauties : 

Ich weiss nicht, was soli es bedeuten 

Dass ich so traurig bin, 

Eine Sage aus alten Zeiten 

Sie kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn. 



101 



And when the golden rays of the setting- sun are 
still lingering on yonder heights^ as if unwilling to 
leave so lovely a country^ and night begins to en- 
shroud in darkness the valleys around^ it seems as if 
a gigantic figure was rising from the mountain's in- 
most depths^ a figure splendid and godlike^ like that 
of Arminius, with features expressive of intense grief, 
as if meditating over what Germany was, what it is^ 
and what it might be, 

* Wenn die Berge und Thaler gliihen 
Im ros'gen Dammerschein, 
Eiu Heldengeist steiget hernieder 
Und schwebet iiber'ni Rhein. 

Sein Auge, es schauet so diister, 
Er seufzet tief und schwer; 
Das Antlitz vol! innerstem Leiden, 
1st gottergleich und hehr, 

Stumm blicket umber der Cherusker, 
Buft dann mit bitter'm Hohn : 
** Sind das die Germanen, vor denen 
Die Eomer einst gefloh'n ?'* 

" Es focbten die alten Teutonen, 
Mit Kolbe, Streitaxt, Scbwert, 
Bei den ew'gen Gottern ! die waren 
Des deutscben Ts^amens wertb." 



* The following lines were written by the author in honour of the 
Schiller Festival, Nov. 10th, 1859. 



102 



" Wohl steigt zu den seligen Hohen 
G-esang und Eauch emporj 
Doch zieli'ii wir der ewigen Leier 
Die SchwerterklaDge vor." 

Und die Stiinme des greisen Helden, 
Durch Deutschland's Gauen hallt, 
Es erwachen die alten Kampen, 
Im Teutoburger Wald. 

Sie entsteigen den dunkel'n Griiften, 
Driiuf singen sie im Chor ; 
O ! drangen die Worte doch mahnend 
In jedes deutsclie Ohr ! 

Sie singen mit donnernder Stimme, 
(Es horclit die Loreley,) 
Yon dem Yolke, einst gross und machtig 
Den Barden, stark und frei ! 

Von Varus und seinen Legionen, 
Der blut'gen Eomerschlacht, 
Von den Grottern, Wodan, Tuisko 
Und langst vergangn'er Pracht. 

Von dem "Wahren, das Allen frommet, 
Und von der Einheit Band, 
Von den treuen und starken Herzen, 
Von Ereiheit, Vaterland ! 

Die Wipfel der heiligen EicLen, 
Sie rauscben Beifall zu ; 
Die Gauen umher und die Haine 
Liegen in tiefer EuV. 

Es dunkelt, die Sterne flimmern, 
Der stille Mond geht auf, 
Und Millionen "Welten ziehen 
Den ew'gen Spharenlauf, 



103 



! kounten wir sie nur verstehea 
Die Schrift am ohern Zelt, 
Welch'ein hehres Beispiel dies ware, 
Piir uus're nied're Welt ! 

Denn die guten und grossen Thaten, 
Auf Erden hier vollbracht, 
Erscheineu in goldenen Lettern 
Bei heller Sterneunacht. 

Die Tone sind alle verklungen, 
O Deiitsclie folg't dem E-ath, 
Erstrebt niclit das Kleinod duroli Worte, 
Gewiunt es durch die That! 

Was die Greister im Chore sangen, 

Hat Sinn und Melodei, 

Schmach bringt es den sklavischeu Volkern, 

Doch macht's die Kiihnen/fei / * 

Up to the reig-n of the Hohenstaufen^ the Fraii- 
conian dialect having- been considered the most 
cultivated, it was used at the court of the Em- 
perors^ by the nobility and all those belonging- 
to the educated classes. The Suabian or AUemannic 
dialect g-ained ultimately the upper hand ; for the 
dawn of our literature began in Suabia and some 
parts of Switzerland^ from which countries the seeds 
were afterwards scattered over all the provinces of 
Germany. Suabia was also the cradle of German 
chivalry^ which there^ as in other parts of Europe^ 
became the forerunner of a literary Era. That 
Allemannia or Suabia should at this time alreadyhave 
possessed a lang-uage superior to any other spoken in 
the rest of Germany^ superior in harmony^ flexibi- 



104 



lity^ piirity^ and force^ is a fact from which it has 
been inferred^ that at some remote period that 
country must already have been in possession of 
a refined literature. For well may we ask^ why 
should the inhabitants of a part of Germany^ so rich 
in picturesque sceneries^ calculated to stimulate 
poetical feeling*^ have accomplished less in this res- 
pect than Franconia or Lower Saxony^ of the early 
literature of which countries we possess documentary 
evidence^ whilst not afrag-mentof Allemannic litera- 
ture of the same period has been transmitted 
to us? 

Our humble opinion is^ that certain qualities in- 
herent to a lang-uag-e are not necessarily a proof 
of its literary standing- at some antecedent period ; 
we think that much in this respect is purely acci- 
dental; and that mental and ph3^sical g-radations are 
facts perceptible in every part of the g-lobe. Some 
races are disting-uished for physical advantag-es, 
g-racefulness of movements and symmetry of forms^ 
others for their mental superiority. But independently 
of these reasons^ we think that the g-reater mental 
refinement in Suabia and Switzerland at that remote 
period, must be attributed to the fact of those 
countries having* always been in direct intercourse 
with the inhabitants of France^ then so much 
superior in refinement of manners and mental 
culture^ and principally to the exertions of the 
Troubadours^ whose stirring* example had the 
most direct and beneficial influence on the mental 
development of the Suabians and Swiss. The 



105 



emulating- example set by the Emperor Frederic 11. 
and his nobles did not fail to create also a taste 
for literature among* the people^ and principally 
among- the upper classes^ who devoted themselves 
to classical studies^ or went for the cultiva- 
tion of their " minds to the universities of Paris^ 
Padua^ and Salamanca. Everything- at that period 
assumed a poetical g-arb ; itinerary sing-ers belong-ing- 
to the highest rank went from court to court^ tour- 
naments were given in their honour^ g-raced by the 
presence of the lovely and beautiful^ who, en- 
Gourag'ing' and stimulating- these mental pursuits, 
kindled at the same time in the hearts of the g-allant 
knig-hts the pure flame of enthusiasm and love, of 
which the poetical effusions of that romantic ag-e 
bear witness. 

The peculiar charm which the Minnelieder exer- 
cised over the heart must be principally attributed to 
the fact of their not being- read, but alwa3^s sung- 
with the accompaniment of string-ed instruments ; 
the intense feeling- with which the voice breathed 
forth all that passed within the heart, explains 
the ascendancy which these strains exercised over 
those who heard them. The metrical form in the 
Minnelied was strictly adhered to. After two 
stanzas equal in quantity, there always followed one 
irreg-ular in this respect 3 the former were called the 

Stollen,'' the latter the ^^Abg-esang-." The Minne- 
sang-er, of whom there existed about 160 in number, 
belong-ed principally to the upper classes; their 
effusions, though generally expressive of the longings 



106 



of the loving" hearty were sometimes of a more serious 
and solemn character. The poems of the founder of 
the Minnegesang-^ Heinrich v. Veldekin (1184)^ and 
of his contemporaries^ v. Kiirenberg- and v. Eist^ 
still bear the stamp of the early epic writings. Vel- 
dekin's principal work^ the Aeneid^" was translated 
from a French version of the poem^ and this accounts 
for the extraordinary and often highly amusing- 
manner in which the subject is treated, especially in 
those parts^ where an attempt is made to dress the 
poem in a garb so unsuited to its spirit. After 
Veldekin^ another minstrel of merit^ Friedrich v. 
Hansen^ deserves to be mentioned. Spervogel, 
Gottfried v. Strassburg^ Wolfram v. Eschenbach, 
and Hartman v. d. Aue^ wrote verses of a religious 
character^ some of which possess great literary merit ; 
but the most prominent among* all is Walther von der 
Vogelweide^ whose best poems were written at the 
end of the 12th century. Here is one of his most 
beautiful effusions. 

" Durchsiisset und gebllimet sind die reinen Frauen : es gab 
niemals so Wonnigliches anzuschauen in Luftennoch auf Erdea 
noch in alien griinen Auen ; Lilien und der Eosen Blumen, wo 
die leuchten im Maienthaue durch das G-ras, und kleiner Yogel 
Sang, sind gegen diese Wonne ohne Earb und Kiang. So man 
sieht schone Erauen, das kann den triiben Mut erquicken 
und loscbet alles Trauern an derselben Stund, wenn lieblicb, 
lacht in Lieb ibr siisser roter Mund und Pfeil' aus spiel'nden 
Augen scbiessen in's Mannes Herzens Grund." 

In the following- lines Walter mourns over his 
past life; and the vanities of this world. 



107 



"O weh woliin geschwunden sind alle meine Jahr ! Hat mir 
mein Leben getraumt oder ist es wahr ? Was ich je wahnte 
dass es ware, ist das nicht (etwas) ? Darnach hab icb gescbla- 
fen und ich weiss es nicht. IS'uii bin ich aufgewacht, und mir 
ist unbekannt, was einst vertraut mir war wie meine andre 
Hand. Lent und Lande da ich von Kindheit bin erzogen, die 
sind mir fremd geworden, als war es all erlogen. Die mir 
Gespielen waren, die sind trage und alt, und ode liegt das Peld, 
verhauen ist der "Wald — nur dass das Wasser fliesset, so wie es 
weiland floss, — wenn ich gedeuke manchen wonniglichen Tag, 
der mir zerronnen ist, wie in das Meer ein Schlag : Immer 
mehr o Weh!" 

Walter von der Yog'ehveide lies buried at Wiirz- 
burg'^ in the Lorenz-Garden of the Miinster^ under 
a tree, from which the nig-hting-ale pours out her 
plaintive strains on the poet's tomb. By his will he 
left a legacy to the wing*ed song-sters of spring*^ 
always his g-reat favourites, who so often had saluted 
him in German^^-'s g-riinen und heilig-en Waldern.'^ 
He dh^ected holes to be made in the tombstone, and 
to be constantly filled with crumbs to feed his fa- 
vourites. For many years his w4sh was attended 
to } but the hung-ry monks of the 1 5th century pre- 
ferred eating" the bread themselves, instead of g'iving' 
it to the poor little birds. The stone remained thus 
in its lonehness for many years, up to a recent time, 
when its last remains have crumbled into nothino-ness. 

Let us also mention here another minstrel, not on 
account of the inherent merit of his poetical effusions, 
but in order to show what love is capable of. Ulrich 
von Liechtenstein, the founder of the princely house 
bearing- that name, shows this in his memoirs, con- 
taining* all his gallant adventures during a very long 



108 



Career. TJlrich on one occasioh falls desperately in 
love with a princess 3 no sacrifice is too great for him 
to testify his affection, and to win her good graces^ for 
he loves her so tenderly. The sweetest vernal flowers 
he offers to her ; to look at her^ to walk on the lawn 
which bears the impress of her dear little foot is 
balm and consolation to his heart 5 and yet^ notwith- 
standing all these demonstrations^ the cruel princess 
remains cold and inexorable — and why ? The gentle 
reader who asks this question will be less surprised, 
when informed that our amorous swain has a de- 
formity displeasing to the object of his affections, 
poor Ulrich has three lips. A man with three hps 
daring to love such a beautiful princess 1 And 
pray, why not? Some people might consider 
this an additional charm in a lover; not so the 
lovely dame, who evinces her disUke in every 
possible way, first by looks, then by words, and finally 
by sending Ulrich down stairs! Is it possible? 
Should anybody ever have thought that dear little 
foot capable of such an act ? Yes, it really was so. 
Ask Ulrich von Liechtenstein ; he felt it, but bore it 
Uke a man, for the Liechtensteins of that age could 
bear a great deal. Yes 3 notwithstanding this 
striking proof of his lady-love's dislike, he still per- 
severes, does not even shrink from undergoing an 
operation, on account of that unfortunate lip 3 and 
commits other eccentricities too numerous to be men- 
tioned hercj but all to no purpose. The lady 
has made up her mind not to have him ; and wheu 
the nuisance becomes at last intolerable, she inflicts 



109 



on this obstinate lover a rebuke so serious^ so very 
serious^ that Ukich never ventured to divulg-e 
the nature of * it to anybody. Whatever it 
may have been^ one thing* is quite certain^ it cured 
him of his love ; but ever after he vented his 
ang'er and disappointment in verses quite as uncom- 
plimentary to the g-entle sex^ as his former effusions 
had been expressive of admiration and respect towards 
them. 

Another Minnesang-er of that time is Nithart. 
His poems^ in which he principally describes rural 
festivities^ are disting-uished for their g-raphic and 
humourous style. Another poet^ Heinrich von 
Meissen^ also called Frauenlob/' was so respected 
by the g-entle sex^ to whom all his mental efforts 
were devoted^ that the ladies of Mayence are said to 
have carried his body to the grave. He died in 1380. 

Eeferences. 

" Sammlung von Minnesangern," by Bodmer and Breitinger. 

Beneckes " Beitrage," v. d. Hagen's " Minnesanger." 

" Walthers G-edichte," by Lachmann, Haupt, XJhland, Sim- 
rock and Wackernagel. 

*• TJlrich V. Liecbtenstein," witb notes by Theodor v. Kara- 
jan herausgegeben von Lachmann. 

"Nitbarts Leben," by "Wackernagel and v. d. Hagen. 

Collections of Minnelieder," by Miiller, Herder and Tieck. 

BUscbing*s " E-itterzeit und Eitterwesen." 

Tauriel " Histoire de la poesie Provenyale/' 



110 



DIE THIERSAGE.* , 

Legends about Animals. 

The wonders of the unorg-anic world having* at all 
times produced strong* impressions on the keener in- 
stincts of primitive nations^ we must not feel surprised 
that the latter should have felt still g-reater interest for 
everything- animated in nature^ for those living* crea- 
tures whose habits were in so many respects analo- 
gous to theirs^ ag-ainst whom they had to protect 
themselves^ or upon whom they could lavish their 
affections as welcome companions in their solitude. 
The leg*ends relating* to animals^ the orig-in of which 
may be traced to the remotest periods, did not 
originally possess the character which they ulti- 
mately acquired. 

Free from those satirical allusions which, on the 
part of the writers, presupposes a more developed 
state of mental faculties, they were but the harm- 
less outpouring's of a pure and uncorrupted mind. 
Among" the various Teutonic races the Franks alone 
possessed the Thiersag-e f it was unknown to the 
Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, and Celtic races. 

The leg-end of ^^Reinecke Vos,'' to which I shall now 
direct the attention of the reader, after having- for cen- 
turies borne a traditional character among- the people, 
assumed its first literary g-arb in the 12th century. 
It appeared at this time in the Friesian dialect 
(Plattdeutsch). Its orig-in is traced to a Latin 

* Ueber den Character der Thiersage, see tfacob Grimm's 
" Einleitung zu Eeinecke Euchs." 



Ill 



leg-end called IsengTimus/' written by a certain 
Mag'ister Nivardus of Flanders^ in the beginning- 
of the 12th century. Fifty years later it appeared 
again in Latin under the name of Eeinardus/' 
About the same time a French version of the poem 
was translated into German by a certain Heinrich 
der Gleicshare^ an Alsatian. In the 13th and 14th 
centuries it suffered various transformations^ until 
Nicolaus Baumann published it; as already stated^ 
in the year 1496^ in the Friesian dialect. Reinecke 
Vos" did not originally possess the satirical character 
which it received subsequently^ especially in the 16th 
century^ an ag'e g-reatly favouring* such tendencies. 
It is also stated; that the h-onical vein pervading- it 
is owing to an ofFence^ Baumann is said to have 
received from the Jiilich court; and which he re- 
sented by the publication of his poem \ of this we 
possesS; however; no authentic record. In the 1 6th 
century the poem was considered a Speculum vitae 
aulicae.'' Godsched and ultimately Gothe trans- 
lated it in the 18th century; but the ^^Beinecke" of 
the latter is deficient in natural simphcity of style. 

Es entbehrt der natiirlichen einfachen Vertraut- 
heit;" as Grimm justly remarks. In the poem itself 
a faithfal picture of court Hfe is given. Some foreign 
reg'ent; following the subtle inspirations of vile flat- 
tererS; brings his country by his extravagance to the 
very verge of ruin. The Dramatis Personae : the 
king'; his courtierS; and high dignitaries are repre- 
sented in the shape of various animals; the peculiar 
character of which is adapted to that of the persons 



112 



alluded to j Reinecke the fox plays the principal part, 
king- Noble'^ the lion^ Grimbart" badg-er^ ^^Braim" 
bear^ Hinz" tomcat^ " Bellyn" heg'oat^ " Lampe" 
hare^ Isegrim" wolf^ Hennink^' cock^are the prin- 
cipal actors. Reinecke's confession^ previous to the 
execution of the sentence which condemns him to 
death^ is a masterpiece of special pleading*. During 
thedelivery of his speech^ he. by malicious insinua tions^ 
completely turns the tables upon his enemies^ whom 
he accuses of conspiring* secretly a g*ainst the life of the 
king* 5 the queen then intercedes for Fox^ who^ not 
only is not punished^ but comes off with flying* colours, 
and returns triumphantly to his castle Malepertus, in 
order to relate to his family the issue of his adven- 
tures. We g*ive here a specimen of this celebrated 
poem, extracted from Goethe's version^ with the in- 
terlineal translation : 

Spiritus Domini helfe mir nun ! Ich selie nicht einen 
Spiritus Domini, assist me now ! I do not see one 
Unter der grossen Versammlung, den ich nicht irgend beseha- 
digt 

In this large assembly whom I have not injured somehow. 
Erst, ich war noch ein kleiner Compan, und hatte die Briiste 
At first, I was then a little fellow, and had hardly 
Kaum zu saugen verlernt, da folgt' ich meinen Begierden 
Been weaned, I followed my propensities 

Unter die jungen Lammer und Ziegen, die neben der Heerde 
Among the young lambs and goats which with the flock 
Sich im Ereien zerstreuten ; ich liorte die block enden Stimmen 
AVere roaming about at pleasure ; I heard the bleating voices 
Gar zu gerne, da liistete mich nach leckerer Speise, 
With pleasure, the dainty food set my heart a longing, 
Lerute hurtig sie kennen. Ein Lammchen biss ich zu Tode, 
I quickly made their acquaintance, bit a lamb till it died 



113 



Leckte das Blut ; es scliineckte mir kostlicli ! und todtete weiter 
And licked the blood ; how delicious ! and killed moreover 
Tier der jlingsten Ziegeu, and ass sie, imd iibte micli ferner ; 
Pour of the youngest goats and ate them, thus continuing my 
practice. 

Sparte keine Yogel, noch Hiihner, noch Enten, noch Ganse, 
I spared neither birds, nor chicken, ducks, or geese 
AYo ich sie fand, und habe gar manches im Sande vergraben, 
Wherever I found them, and buried many a one in the sand, 
"Was ich geschlachtet und vras mir nicht alles zu essen beliebte. 
Of those I had killed and did not vrant to eat. 
Dann begegnet es mil' ; in einem Winter am Eheine 
Then it happened one winter on the Ehine 

Lernt' ich Isegrim kennen, er lauerte hinter den Baumen 
That I got acquainted with Isegrim, he was lurking behind the 
trees, 

Grleich versichert' er mir, ich sei aus seinem Geschlechte, 
And assured me at once that we were related, 
Ja er wusste mir gar die Grade der Sippschaft am Einger 
]N'ay more, he knew how to count the pedigree on his 
Yorzurechnen. Ich liess mir's gefallen ; wir schlossen ein 
Biindiiiss 

Finger's end. I did not object ; we made an alliance 
TJnd gelobten einander, als treue Gesellen zu wandern ; 
And pledged each other, to roam about as faithful companions ; 
Leider soUt' ich dadurch mir manches Uebel bereiten. 
Alas ! it was to cause me many a bitter pang. 
Wir durchstrichen zusammen das Land. Da stahl er das 
Grosse, 

We travelled together through the country. Whenever 

he stole large things, 
Stahl ich das Kleine. Was wir gewonnen, das soUte gemein 
sein ; 

I robbed the small. Whatever we got, was to be shared in 
common ; 

Aber es war nicht gemein, wie billig : er theilte nach WiUkur ; 
But of course it was not so, he divided at pleasure ; 

I 



114 



Niemals empfing ich die Halfte. Ja schlimmeres hab' ich 
erfaliren. 

And I never got half of it. Nay I have even fared worse. 
Wenn er ein Kalb sich geraubt, sich einen Widder erbeutet, 
"When he had robbed a calf, or taken a wether, 
Wenn ich im Ueberfluss sitzen ihn fand, er eben die Ziege 
"When I found him revelling in plenty, devouring the goat 
Prisch geschlachtet verzehrte, ein Bock ihm unter den Klauen 
Just killed, or when a he-goat was writhing 

Lag und zappelte ; grinst' er mich an und stellte sich gramlich 
Under his claws ; he grinned at me and looked sullen, 
Trieb mich knurrend hinweg : so war mein Theil ihm gebiieben 
Grumbled and drove me away : and thus he got my share. 
Immer ging as mir so, es mochte der Eraten so gross sein, 
I always fared thus, be the piece of roast meat 
Als er wollte. Ja, wenn es geschah, dass wir in G-esellschaft 
However large. And when it happened, that we had taken 
together 

Einen Ochsen gefangen, wir eine Kuh uns genommen j 

An ox, or got a cow, 

Gleich erschienen sein Weib und sieben Kinder und warfen 

Immediately his wife and seven children appeared, attacked 

TJeber die Beute sich her und drangten mich hinter die Mahlzeit 

The booty, so that I got nothing of the meal. 

Keine Eippe konnt' ich erlangen, sie ware denn ganzlich 

No, not a rib I could get, unless it was polished 

Glatt und trocken genagt ; das soUte mir alles gefallen ! ^ 

Off to the very bone ; I could not stand that ! 

Aber Gott sei gedankt, ich litt desweg^n nicht Hunger ; 

But, thank goodness, I did not starve after all. 

Heimlich nahrt ich mich wohl von meinem herrlichen Schatze, 

I secretly enjoyed the good things, 

Yon dem Silber und Golde, das ich an sicherer Statte 

The silver and gold, which I had 

Heimlich verwahre ; dess hab ich genug. Es schafft mir wahr- 
haftig 

Well secured j I have plenty of that. A waggon would 



115 



Ihn kein Wagen hinweg, und wenn er siebenmal fiilire 
Hardly carry it away, no not in seven loads. 
Und as horclite der Konig, da von dem Schatze gesagt ward. 
And the king listened when lie heard of the treasure, 
Neigte sich vor und sprach : von wannen ist er euch kommen ? 
Leaned forward and said : How did you get it ? 
Saget an ! Ich meine den Schatz. Und Eeinecke sagte: 
Let us know ! Of course I mean the treasure ! And Eeinecke 
said. 

Dieses Geheimniss verhehl' ich euch nicht, was konnt es mir 
helfen, 

This secret, sir, I cannot divulge, what use would it be to me, 
Denn ich nehme nichts mit von diesen kostlichen Dingen 
For I cannot take anything of these precious things with me, 
Aber wie ihr befehlt, will ich euch alles erzahlen : 
But, as you command, I shall tell you all ; 
Denn es muss nun einmal heraus; um Leibes und Leides 
For out it must come after all ; no, not for my life 
Mocht' ich wahrhaftig das grosse G-eheimniss nicht langer ver- 
hehlen 

Should I wish to conceal the secret any longer, 

Denn der Schatz war gestolen. Es hatten sich viele verschworen 
For the treasure was stolen. Many had conspired 
Euch, Herr Konig, zu morden, und wurde zur selbigen Stunde 
To murder your Majesty, and if at that time 
Nicht der Schatz mit Klugheit entwendet, so war es geschehen. 
The treasure was not cleverly taken, the thing was done. 
Merket es, gnadiger Herr ! Denn euer Leben und "Wohlfahrt 
Eemember, gracious lord ! Your precious life was at stake. 
Hing an dem Schatz. Und dass man ihn stahl dasbrachte, 
denn leider 

Everything depended on the treasure. And the fact of its 

having been taken 
Meinen eigenen Yater in grosse Nothen, es bracht ihn 
Has caused great trouble to my own father, it caused 
Eruhe zur traurigen Eahrt, vielleicht zu ewigem Schaden ; 
His early death, perhaps his eternal perdition. 

I 2 



116 



Aber gnadiger Herr, zu eurem Nutzen gescbali es ! 
But, gracious Sir, it was all done for your own sake ! 

Rarely did a poem enjoy greater popular favour; 
it is full of humour and excellent maxims — a work 
to be appreciated alike by the statesman and philo- 
soj)her^ for the race of the Eeineckes is not extinct^ 
and many an European court could no doubt pro- 
duce a specimen of the interesting- animal even in 
our days ! . 



The Meistergesang. 

In a literary sketch like the present^ it is essential 
to point out those historical phases^ during- which 
the mind accomplished feats worthy of record^ and 
to pass rapidly over those denoting- a decline in this 
respect. 

With the extinction of the line of the Hohenstaufen, 
this mental decline beg-an in Germany^ for the 
Meisterg-esang- was but a poor reflection of the 
romantic ag-e that preceded it. Having* already^ 
in my historical summary^ dwelt upon this subject^ 
I shall confine myself to mention in connection with 
this institution the name of 

Hans Sachs^ the far-famed cobler of Nuremberg-^ 
whose poems and carnival plays are disting-uished for 
g-raphic descriptions and harmless satire^ betraying- on 
the part of the author a thoroug-h knowledg-e of the 
manners of his times. Thoug-h not a poet in the hig-her 
sense of the word^ he possessed g-reat natural abilities^ 



117 



and that imperturbable g'ood humour^ by which he 
acquired his immense popularity. He was perhaps 
the most prolific writer that ever lived. For fifty-five 
years he wrote and rhymed with the most inde- 
fatig-able ardour^ the result of which was a very 
rich literary harvest^ consisting- of 208 comedies and 
4200 poems of various kinds. One mig-ht have 
called him the Alexandre Dumas^ Scribe^ or Eug-ene 
Sue of the 16th. century 5 only that^ unlike these dis- 
ting-uished modern writers^ he did not keep his own 
secretary^ or wear those famous ^^g-ants j amies/' 
which the last-named ^^ecrivain^' is said to have 
constantly worn whilst preparing his stirring- chap- 
ters for his novel-loving- public. Hans Sachs the 
cobler could afford dispensing- with such luxuries ! 

As a specimen of his style^ I beg- to give here 
an extract of a poem called Kifferbeskraut/' in 
which he describes the character of a busybody 
quarrelsome old woman. Her husband^ a g-reat 
amateur of g^ardening-^ wants to buy different seeds 
and plants. The seedsman shows him some peas 
called Kifferbsen (summer peas). The word 

KiflF" derives from Keifen^ to quarrel^ to scold. 

For heaven's sake/' exclaims the man^ anything 
but Kifferbsen/' alluding- here to his own matri- 
monial miseries^ and then proceeds : — 

O nur lieine Kifferbsen, keine Kifferbsen! Kifferbeskraut 
(im Doppelsinn : das Keifkraut, Zankkraut) wacbst mir scbon 
genug in Hof und Haus, ist mir wie Unkraut noch nie verdor- 
ben, nicbt im kalten "Winter erfroren, nicbt im heissen Sommer 
verdorrt, es wacbst in meinem ganzen Hause ; im Keller und 
im Bad, in Kiicbe, Stube und Kammer macbt Kifferbeskraut 



118 



mir Jammer, zu oberst auf dem Boden oben thut das IJnkraut 
oft wiiten imd toben ; was meine Prau arbeitet und thut, das 
arg Unkraut bei ihr niclit ruht, ob sie die Kinder badt und 
zwecht (wascbt), "Wasser tragt oder Kiicblein becht, in der 
Kiiche aufraumt und spiilt, das Hans kebrt und in den Betten 
wiihlt, dass sie Eedern liest oder bechelt, oder Plachs in der 
Sonne aufwechelt (aufstellt), fegt Pfannen oder bat ein 
"Wasch, da wachst das Kifferbeskraut gar resch, dass ich in 
dem Kraut micb verirr und endlicb gar mich drinn verwirr ; — 
meine Frau fullt mich friih und spat iiberfliissig, vol! und satt, 
dass ich wiinscht, dass Kifferbeskraut nie ware gesaet oder 
gebaut, sondern dass dieses Krautes Frucht wiichs nimmer- 
mehr und war verflucht, und verdiirb, Blatter sammt dem 
Stroh, dess wiird manch guter Gesell herzfroh," 

At a very advanced ag-e the intellectual powers 
of poor Hans Sachs gave way. Then he could 
be seen seated at his table^ a large open book before 
him^ nodding", bowing*, and smiling* with a peculiar 
expression of kindness beaming* from his larg*e 
blue eyes, which closed for ever on the 25th of 
January, 1576. 



The Eefoemation. 

It was a great blessing for Germany, that at a time 
when the empire was utterly prostrate, and its disso- 
lution fast progressing, an event should have oc- 
curred calculated to invigorate the drowsy state 
body, and stir both rulers and ruled to physical and 
intellectual exertions. Such an event was the Re- 
formation. If it was natural that the country 
where the great religious combat began, should also 



119 



feel its consequences soonest^ such was necessarily 
the case in Germany ; for it is precisely in countries 
disunited by contests^ where new doctrines have 
always a better chance of finding* partizans. Men 
in this respect are^ it is true^ not always g^uided 
by sincere convictions ; but by that spirit of contra- 
diction^ so inherent to human nature^ which then be- 
comes a welcome weapon ag^ainst opponents. It was 
the disharmony among- the various princes of the 
German empire^ which favoured the cause of the 
Reformation , for the g-reat interest which some of 
them took in spreading* the new doctrine g-ave to the 
movement the utmost political importance^ this is 
evidenced by the Diet of Worms (1521)^ held for the 
purpose of opposing it to the utmost. 

YeS; it was the g-reat pohtical importance attaching* 
to the rehg-ious contest which chang-ed the resistance 
of Charles V.^ which at first mig-ht have sprung 
fi*om conscientious motives, into the most inveterate 
enmity, and soon disclosed his ambitious desig-ns 
towards Germany, althoug-h hidden under the cloak 
of rehg'ion. Providence often afflicts individuals and 
nations with adversities for their own g-ood 3 it was 
so in Germany; for no sooner had the Emperor's 
plans become known, than the hitherto disunited 
princes combined in a body to oppose the encroach- 
ments of that monarch. Unsuccessful at first at the 
battle of Miihlberg", 1547, they soon reg'ained the 
lost ground under their glorious leader. Elector 
Moritz of Saxony, and frustrated, by the Treaty of 
Passau, 1552, the political designs of Charles V. It 



120 



takes^ however, some time before the waves resume 
their peaceful course after a political storm has 
roused them from their inmost depths. Peace only 
reig-ned on the surface^ but not in the minds. It is 
surprising- that parties animated towards each other 
by those deadly animosities should, up to 1618, have 
refrained from beg-inning* sooner the sang-uinary 
contest, which lasted for 80 years, and spread un- 
utterable misery over poor Germany. The Peace of 
Westphalia g-ave at last to that war-fated country 
some repose, and a constitution, — ruthlessly and 
faithlessly violated ever since. 

We never mention the g-reat Reformation with- 
out associating" it in our minds with its great repre- 
sentative, Martin Luther, the son of a humble miner, 
born at Eisleben, in Saxony, on the 10th of Novem- 
ber, 1483 (whose life was a long- battle crowned 
with a splendid victory) ; who by his indomitable 
perseverance, and thirst for knowledg-e, acquired 
that prodig"ious amount of erudition, which pro- 
cured him at a very early ag-e a professorship in 
the university of Wittenberg-, then just founded. 
Here he knew how to captivate his hearers ; but 
here also his troubles beg-an. Having* entered 
into a controversy with the monk Tetzel about the 
sale of indulg-ences, he was exposed sing-le-handed 
to a long--continued arg-umentative cross-fire from 
all the ecclesiastical batteries, but sustained it with 
a perseverance and courag-e of which a man of such 
a mind and such a heart was alone capable. In the 
year 1521 he was summoned before a cong-ress of 



121 



princes at the town of Worms. After having* vic- 
toriously refuted the accusations brought against 
him^ he terminated his memorable defence in ex- 
claiming-^ Here I have taken my stand^ I cannot 
speak otherwise ; may God help me V' The Elector 
Frederic^ his only friend and protector^ in order to 
shelter him from further persecution^ offered him an 
asylum at a castle called the Wartburg-^ where^ by the 
celebrated translation of the Bible into hig-h German 
and other hterary labom^s^ he laid the foundation 
of that monument which will last as long* as the 
German lang-uag-e. 

Luther's style is nervous^ terse^ and concise ; it 
bears the stamp of sincere conviction^ proceeding* 
fi'om and going* to the heart; and its essentially 
popular character accounts for the extraordinary 
influence which his writings^ and those of his worthy 
contemporary^ Ulrich von Hutten^ acquired over the 
masses. The celebrated hymn^ and the sermon which 
follow here^ will convey to the reader the character 
of Luther's style. 



EINE TESTE BURG 1ST UNSER GOTT. 

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, 
Ein gute "Welir und "Waffen. 
Er hilft uns frei aus aller Noth, 
Die uns jetzt hat betroffeu. 
Der alt bose Eeind 
Mit Ernst er's jetzt meint. 
Gross MacHt und viel List 
Sein grausam Rlistung ist, 
Auf Erd'ist nicht seines Gleiclien. 



122 



Mit unser Maclit ist niclits gethan, 

"Wir sind gar bald verloren. 

Es streit fur uns der rechte Mann, 

Den Grott hat selbst erkohren. 

Fragst du, wer der ist ? 

Er heisst Jesus Christ, 

Der Herr Zebaoth, 

TJnd ist kein ander Grott ; 

Das Eeld muss er behalten. 

Und wenn die "Welt voll Teufel war, 
TJnd wollt* uns gar verschlingen : 
So fdrchten wir uns nicht so sehr, 
Es soil uns doch gelingen. 
Der Eiirst dieser Welt, 
"Wie sau'r er sich stellt, 
Thut er uns doch nicht : 
Das macht, er ist gericht, 
Ein "Wortlein kann ihn fallen. 

Das Wort sie soUen lassen stahn, 

Und kein Dank dazu haben. 

Er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan, 

Mit seinem G-eist und Gaben; 

Nehmen sie den Leib, 

Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib, 

Lass fahren dahin, 

Sie habens kein Gewinn, 

Das Eeich muss uns doch bleiben. 



123 



VON DER TODTEN AUFERSTEHUNG.* 
OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. 
1st Book of the Corintliians, XVth chapter. 

Sanct Paulus weiset una mit seiner Predigt, die er in dieser 
Saint Paul in the epistle to the Corinthians refers us 
Epistel an die Corinther thut, mit dem Artikel der Auferstehung 
in his sermon on the resurrection of the dead 

in*s Feld und in G-arten, auf dass wir sehen soUen, wie es da 
to the field and garden, in order that we may see there how 
zugeht mit dem Samen, und unsern Griauben von der Todten 
everything goes on with the seed, and increase our belief 
Auferstehung starken lernen, mit dem Werke, so Gott durch 
in the resurrection, in beholding the works which 
seine Allmachtigkeit taglich iibet an den Kreaturen. Damit 
the Almighty daily exercises towards his creatures. There 
begegnet er auch denen, die da liber diesen Artikel scharf 
he meets also those, who make sharp inquiries on that 
fragen aus der Yernunft, wie es zugehen werde in der Aufer- 
subject, who argue and ask how it will be at the time of the re- 
stehung ? Mit welcherlei Leibe die Todten kommen werden ? 
surrection? In what shape will the dead appear? 
Wie sollte es zugehen, spricht er ; siehe auf den Acker und im 
If you want to know that, he replies ; look at the field and the 
Garten, wie es da zugeht, und leme daselbst Gottes Allmach- 
garden, and see how things are going on there, and learn there- 
tigkeit und Kraft, so er beweiset an den Kreaturen, welche er 
by God's almighty power, which he shows towards the creatures 
aus dem Tode herfiir bringt und lebendig macht. Ein Eauer 
which he calls from life to death. Now a peasant 
gehet daher auf dem Acker, hat sein Tuch am Halse, darin 
goes to the acre, with his cloth in which he carries 
tragt er "Weizen, Eoggen, G-ersten, etc. Und greift getrost 
his wheat, rye, and barley. And full of confidence he 



* A sermon of Dr. Martin Luther, preached in the year ISM, 



124 



mit der Hand in der Samen, wirft um sich und besaet den 
takes the seed and spreads it broadcast over the 
Acker; hinter ihm her folget ein Knabe, der fiihret die Egge, 
acre ; he is followed by a boy, with a harrow, 
und scharret den Samen, der gesaet ist, zu, dass er mit der 
covering the seed jusb sown, carefully 
Erde wohl bedeckt werde. Solchem Samann woUen wir ent- 
with earth. JSTow let us oppose to such a 

gegen setzen einen groben Tolpel und unverstandigen Narren, 

seedsman a ruffian and fool, 
der doch trefflich klug sein will, und wohl Gott im Himmel 
who pretends to be very wise, and who would not scruple to 
reformiren und meistern darf, wie man von dem Euhrmann 
criticise even his Father in heaven. Let us take, for instance, 
Hanns Pfriemen, saget, dass er im Parodies alles habe woUen 
Hanns Pfriemen, the waggoner, who, when arriving in Paradise, 
ueberkliigeln und meistern. Derselbe Hanns Pfriemen siehet 
wanted to criticise everything. Now the same Hanns Pfriemen 
den Bauer mit dem Tuch und den Knaben mit der Egge, fangt 
sees our peasant with his cloth, and the boy with his harrow, 
an und spricht : Lieber Mann, was machst du da ? Bist du 
and says : My good man, what are you about ? Are you 
auch klug ? Du wirfst das gute Getreide in die Erde, hast du 
in your senses ? Tou throw all this good corn into the ground, 
nicht daheim Kinder, G-esinde und Vieh die es essen konnen ? 
why have you not at home some children, servants, and cattle 
"Warum verderbest du denn das gute Korn so schandlich, und 
who might eat it ? "Why do you spoil thus the good corn and 
wirfst es in die Erde ? Und hast dazu daran* nicht Geniige, 
throw it about ? And not satisfied with acting thus, 
sondern ein andrer folget dir nach, der zutritt und zudammet 
you are attended by another person, under the hoofs of whose 
alles mit den Pferden, und scharret alles zu mit der Eggen. 
horses the seed is trodden down, and harrowed about. 
"Was gehet dich an, dass du das feine Getreide so jammerlich 
Why do you thus spoil the beautiful grain 



125 



umbringest, dass es niemand zu Nutze kommt ? Ware der 
so as to render it useless to everybody? Now if the 
Bauer ungeduldig und kurz angebunden, wie man solcher viele 
peasant were an impatient and ill-tempered man 
findet, die da lieiss seyn vor der Stirn, und niebts leiden konnen; 

as we find many of them, 

so soUt'er wobl aufFahren, und meinen Hanns Pfriemen grob- 
be might get angry, and treat Kanns Pfriemen rather 
licb abweisen und sagen: "Was hast du Warr mit mir zu 
roughly, and say, " Tou stupid, what is that to you ? 
sehafi'en, gehe du deines Weges, lass micb zufrieden ; soUt 
Be off, and leave me alone;" 

aucb wobl einen Erdenklos nehmen, und solcben Meister 
perhaps be might even take a good clod, and throw it at master 
Kliigel damit griissen, dass er auf dem Eiicken lage und die 
wiseacre, so as to throw him on bis back, and 
Augen verkehrete, wie ein Ochse, den man jetzt schlagen will, 
make him turn bis eyes like an ox about to be killed. 
Aber ein verniinftiger Bauer tbut das nicht, sondern spricbt : 
But a sensible peasant does not act thus, but says : 
Lieber, schweig stille, du verstebest jetzt nicht, was ich mache ; 
** My dear, hold your peace ; you do not understand what I am 
komm aber iiber ein balb Jahr oder Yierteljabr wieder, so will, 
doing now ; return again in six or three months, and I will 
icb dir alsdenn zeigen, was ich jetzt gemacht babe. Denn auf 
show you tben what I have done." Por by 
die Zeit wird ein jeglicb Korn, so ich jetzt in die Erde werfe 
that time each grain which I am now throwing into the ground 
und s'ae, einen Halm mit einer dicken vollen Aebre bringen; 
and sow, will have produced a stalk with a thick full ear; 
alsdannwerde icb fiir den Samen, so jetzt in die Erde geworfen 
and tben I shall receive for my seed thrown now into the 
und zugescharret wird, zebenfaltig, ja wobl zwanzig, dreissig- 
ground and harrowed over, ten, twenty, perhaps 
faltig wieder nebmen. Und dazu wird mir durcb Grottes 
thirty-fold. And God's work will be thus 



126 



"Werk dienen die liebe Sonne und der Eegen, dass das Korn 
assisted by his sun and rain, so that the com 
auf dem Acker aufgehe griine und wachse, Dawider setzt sich 
on the field may open, germ, and grow. To this, 
Hanns Pfriemen und spricht : Ei, das ist nichts, was du vor- 
Hanns Pfriemen replies : " I don't see that, 
giebst. Ich sehe weder Halm noch Aehren, sondern sehe, dass 
I behold neither stalk nor ears, but I see that 
du das schone Korn in den Dreck wirfest und es zuscharrest ; 
you throw the beautiful corn into the mud and cover it over ; 
wie sollt daraus etwas werden ? " Sei du zufrieden," spricht der 
how can anything come out of that." " Xever mind," says the 
Eauer,^'also will ich's haben, dass das Korn in die Erde geworfen 
peasant, **I want to see the corn thrown into the ground 
und zugescharret werde ; nicht dass es in der Erde verderbe 
and harrowed; not that it should spoil 

und umkomme, sondern dass sich's bewurzele und Erucht 
and perish, but that it may take root and produce 
bringe; darum bitte ich auch Gott, wenn das Korn gesaet ist, 
fruit; for after having sown it, I pray Grod to 
dass er Eegen, Sonne und Wetter gebe, dass es zuerst in der 
send his rain, sun, and fine weather, in order that the 
Erde weich werde und verwese ; darnach wenn es sich nun 
seed may first become soft, and decay ; and after having once 
bewurzelt hat, aus der Erde wieder hervorbreche, wachse und 
taken root, break through the soil, grow and 
Erucht trage." Solcher Hanns Pfriemen und grober Narr, 
produce fruit." " Now," says St. Paul, **you are just 
spricht Sanct Paulus, bist du auch wenn du fragst, wie werden 
such a John Pfriemen and fool when you ask how will 
die Todten auferstehen ? Denn wie es zugeht mit dem Samen; 
the dead arise ? Eor just as it is with the seed ; 
also gehet es auch zu mit unserm Leibe, der wird auch in die 
so with our body, which is also sown into the 
Erde gesaet. Denn obschon die Menschen auf mancherlei 
ground. Eor although men die in 



127 



Weise umkommen, etliche ersaufen im Wasser, und werden 
various ways, some being drowned, some 
von den Fischen gefressen; etliche kommen an den Galgen 
eaten by the fishes; others die on the gallows 
Tind werden gefressen von den Eaben, etliche werden mit 
and are devoured by the ravens, or perish 
Feuer verbrannt, etc. So fasset doch Sanct Paulus alles 
by fire, etc. Yet St. Paul comprises them all 

zusammen, und heisst solches alles : das Korn in die Erde 
under the same head ; it is the throwing of the corn 
werfen und zuscharren, dass es seine Gestalt verliere. Kannst 
into the ground, in order that it may lose its original shape. "Can 
du nun, spricht er, solchen Glauben haben auf dem Acker dass, 
you now believe," he says, that the 

wenn das Korn vor dem Winter gesaet und mit der Egge 
corn sown on the acre before the winter has 
zugescharret ist, iiber ein halb Jahr hernach, schon, jung, 
set in, should six months later reappear so beautiful and 
kostlich Korn dastehen werde ? Solches lernst du aus der 
young, and have changed into delicious grain ? Now experience 
Erfahrung, und liesest es in deinen Buch und in deiner Eibel, 
teaches you this, you read it in your book and in your Bible, 
namlich, wenn Grott deine Arbeit segnet, Sonn, Eegen, und 
that is to say, if Grod blesses your work, by sending sun, rain, 
'V"^etter gibt, dass der Same, den du gesaet hast, unverdorben 
and fine weather, the seed which you have sown will not 
sey, und zu dieser Zeit werde wieder lebendig werden und 
spoil, but will spring into life, and bring forth 
Erucht bringen. Unser Herr Grott ist ein guter Ackersmann ; 
fruit. Our God is a good labourer in the field ; 

der tragt uns alle in seinem Tuch das ist, in seinem Gesetz. 
who carries us all in his cloth, that is in his law. 
"Weil wir alle Siinder seyn und Uebertreter seiner Gebote ; so 
As we are all sinners and transgressors of his 
miissen wir auch alle sterben, ob wir schon nicht alle auf 
commandments, we must all die, though not all in the 



128 



einerlei Weise sterben, sondern einer stirbt auf dem Bette, am 
same manner, for one dies in his bed, or of 

Fieber, an der Pestilenz, etc. Der andre stirbt im Kriege in 
fever, or of the plague, etc. ; another dies in war or on 
der Feldschlacht ; so nimmt uns doch der Tod alle dahin, dass 
the battle-field : thus death carries us all off, that 
es alles keisst : Gott greift in sein Tuch streuet urn sich wie der 
we may well say : God scatters about his seed like the 
Samann, und saet uns dahin in die Erde. Wie du nun auf dem 
seedsman, and sows us broadcast over the soil. Now as you 
Acker glaubest, dass aus dem Korn, so in die Erde gesaet wird, 
believe that something will come out of the corn sown upon 
etwas werde ; also soUst du auch hier unserm Herr Gott 
this acre, you must also put your faith in the Lord, 
glauben, dass aus dem verstorbenen Leibe, so in die Erde 
and believe that out of the decayed body buried into the 
gescharret wird, etwas werde. Denn unser Herr Gott scharret 
ground something better will arise. For in burying our body 
unsern Leib eben so wenig, (mit) der Meinung in die Erde, 
into the ground, it is not God's intention that it should 
dass er in der Erde bleibe, und ewig verwese, als (eben so) 
remain there, and always decay, just as the 

wenig der Bauer das Korn (mit) der Meinung in die Erde 
peasant does not throw his corn into the 
wirft, dass es da zunicht werde und verderbe j ja, es ist viel 
ground, to be destroyed there ; nay, it is 

weniger Gottes Meinung, dass unser Leib ewig in der Erde 
much less God's intention, to do so with our 
bleibe, denn des Bauers mit dem Korn. Gleichwie das Korn 
body as it is that of the peasant with regard to his corn. Just 
(in) der Meinung gesaet und zugescharret wird, dass es seine 
as the corn is sown and covered over, in order that 
Gestalt verliere, dass man es nicht mehr kenne, dass man 
it should lose its shape, and no longer be recognised, 
weder Korn, noch eines Kornes Gestalt da sehe, und dafiir ein 
neither the corn nor its shape, and ultimately 



129 



sclioiier Halm aiifwachse, der Frucht bringe ; also wird aiicli 
from this small grain a beautiful stalk should spriog up and pro- 
unser Leib in die Erde begraben, dass es seine Gestalt verliere, 
duce fruit ; in the same manner will our body be buried, 
dass man weder menschliclien Leib, noch Leibesgestalt sehe 
that it may lose its shape, so that the original human form 
und dafiir ein schoner klarer, lieblicher und lustiger Leib 
shall no longer be recognised, but in its stead a beautiful bright 
auferstehe in einem andern Wesen und Leben. Ja, sprichst 
lovely body may arise in another being and in another life. '*But," 
du, wie konnen die todten Leiber aus den Griibern gehen, weil 
you say, "how can the dead bodies proceed from the graves, 
sie verfaulet und zu Erde worden sind ? "Wie ist das moglich ; 
when they have changed and become dust. How is that possible ? " 
Ei wie bleibest du doch immer ein Hans Pfriemen ; du meinest, 
" Ah, I see ; you are still the old John Pfriemen ; you think 
es sei unmoglich, darum, dass alle Menschen in der Erde ver- 
it impossible, because our bodies decay and 

faulen und verwesen. Aber siehe dein eigen Werk und Arbeit 
become dust. But look at your own work and labour 

an auf dem Acker; du wirfst das Korn in den Koth, ver- 
in the fields ; you throw your seed into the muddy ground ! 
scharrest es, dass es verfaule, und wartest, bis der "Winter 
you bury it in order that it may rot, and you wait until the winter 
voriiber sei, dass du es wieder sehest, viel schoner und reich- 
is past, in order to see it again more beautiful and more abun- 
licher, denn du es gesaet hast. Also musst du hier auch 
dant than when you did sow it. And thus you must also 
warten, bis der "Winter voriiber sei, und der Leib wieder 
wait here upon earth until the winter is past, and the body 
auferstehe; wenn er auferstehet, so wirst du sehen, wie er 
rises again ; and when it rises, you will see how it springs 
wieder hervorkommt. Dazu ist Christus mit seiner Auferste- 
up again. Therefore Christ with his resurrection has 

hung uns vorgegangen, und hat uns die Bahn gebrochen und 
preceded us, and broken the path, and prepared 

K 



130 



den "Weg gemacht, dass wir ihm naclifolgen sollen. Darum 
the road, in order that we may follow him. Therefore 
wir ja nicht an diesem Artikel zu zweifeln haben. TJnd zwar 
we should not feel any doubt on this point. All this 
nicht allein an dem Korne, sondern auch an andern Kreaturen 
is not manifested only by the corn, but we see it in other crea- 
zu sehen ist, wie das Leben aus dem Tode kommt, durch 
tures how life springs from death, by the will of 
Gottes Geschopf und Allmaehtigkeit. Gehe bin zum Kirsch- 
God and his almighty power. Look, and behold the cherry- 
baum, greif sein Eeislein an um Weihnachten ; so findest du 
tree, seize one of its sprigs at Christmas time ; and you will 
an dem ganzen Baum kein griin Blattlein, keinen Saft noch 
see neither leaf nor sap, nor 

Leben, sondern findest einen diirren kahlen Baum, der eitel 
life; you will find but a dry stripped tree, 
todt Holz hat. Kommst du aber nach Ostern wieder, so 
the wood of which appears dead. Now if you return after 
beginnet der Kirschbaum wieder lebendig zu werden; das 
Easter, the cherry-tree begins to revive, the 
Holz ist saftig und die Eeislein gewinnen Aeuglein und 
wood becomes juicy, and the little sprigs get little buds and 
Knotlein; naher Pfingsten werden aus den Aeuglein Strauch- 
knots ; after midsummer these knots change into little shrubs, 
lein, dieselben thun sich auf, und aus den Strauchlein kommen 
they open, and out of them little white flowers 

weisse Bliimlein. Wenn sich das Bliimlein aufthut, so siehest 
begin to peep forth. "When the flower has opened, you see 
du ein Stielchen ; aus dem Stielchen kommt ein Kern, welcher 
a small stalk ; out of this stalk comes a kernel 
barter ist, denn der Baum; inwendig in dem harten Kern, 
harder than the tree ; inside the hard kernel 
wachset ein anderer Kern, nicht so hart, wie der erste Kern, 
grows another kernel, not so hard as the first, but 

sondern etwas weicher, dass er zu essen dienet, gleichwie das 
a little softer, so that it may be eaten just as 



131 



Mark iin Bein wacliset. Auswendig um den harten Kern 
we see the marrow growing in tlie bone. Around this hard kernel 
rings herum wachset die Kirsche, mit einer Haut ilberzogen, 
grows the cherry, covered with a skin, 

wie das Fleisch nm das Beim wachset, und mit der Haut 
just as the flesh grows round the bone, surrounded 
umgeben ist, und wachset die Kirsche so fein lustig rund, dass 
with its skin, and the cherry grows thus merrily on, 
sie kein Drechsler so rund machen kann. "Wie gehet das zu ? 
so that no turner could make it rounder. How is all this ? 
Dass durch das Eeislein am Kirschbaum, welches um "Weih- 
The little twig of the cherry-tree, dry and dead like a 
uachten diirr und todt ist, wie Besenreis, wachst ein Kn5tlein, 
broomtwig at Christmas time, produces a little knot, 
und aus dem Knotlein kommt ein weisses Bliimlein ; aus dem 
and out of this little knot comes a little white flower ; and out 
Bliimlein kommt ein Stielchen, und durch das Stielchen wachst 
of the flower a little stalk, and through that little stalk grows 
ein Kern ; das bringt inwendig wieder einen Kern, und 
a kernel; producing inside another kernel, and 
auswendig eine Kirsche; das Stielchen is erstlich ein klein 
on the outside a cherry ; the little stalk forms at first a 
Spitzlein im Bliimlein, also dass man kaum mit einer Nadel- 
little point in the blossom, so that scarcely the point of a 
spitze hindiu'ch stechen konnte ; dennoch wachset herdurch 
needle could pierce it, and yet a kernel finds 

ein Kern, derselbe hat sein Mark, Eleisch, Blut und Haut. 
its way through it with its marrow, flesh, blood, and skin. 
Ist das nicht ein wunderbar Geschopf Gottes ? Keine 
Is this not a wonderful creature of God? No 
Kreatur kann solch Geschopf also machen ; kein Mensch, kein 
man can produce such a creature ; no king, 

Konig, wie machtig er auch sei; kein Doctor, wie gelehrt, 
however mighty he may be ; no Doctor, however learned, 
weise und king er sei, kann ein einziges Kirschleiu schaffen ! 
wise, and gifted, is able to create a single little cherry! 

K 2 



132 



TJnd wenn wir's nicht jahrlicli vor unsern Augen sahen, so 
And if we did not see it every year before our eyes, we 
glaubeten wir es nicht dass aus einem diirren Beislein solclie 
should not believe that out of a dry twig should arise such a 
schone, liebliche Frucht, so wunderbarlich wachsen sollte. 
beautiful, lovely, and wonderful fruit. 

Darum, lieber Hanns Pfriemen, thu die Augen auf, siehe den 
Therefore, my dear John Pfriemen, open your eyes, and look at 
Kirschbaum an, derselbe wird dir predigen von der Todten 
the cherry-tree, it will preach to you of the resurrection 
Auferstehung, und dich lehren, wie das Leben aus dem Tode 
of the dead, and teach you how life springs from 
kommt. Wenn der Kirschbaum reden konnte, so wiirde er zu 
death. If the cherry-tree could speak, it would say 
dir sagen : Lieber, siehe doch mich an zur Winterzeit ; wie diirr, 
to you : My dear ! pray look at me in winter ; look how dry, 
wie kahl, wie unfructbar, wie gar todt ich bin, da fiadest du an 
stripped, barren, and dead I am, without 
mir weder Laub noeh Frucht, weder Saft noch Leben ; aber 
leaves fruit, sap or life ; but 

komm wieder nach Ostern, so hab ich Saft und Leben, bin 
return after Easter, then I have sap and life, then 
weiss von Bllithe, griin von Slattern ; komm um Margeretha 
I am covered with white blossoms and green leaves ; come 
wieder, so habe ich reife Kirschen, und ist mir alle Welt hold ; 
again at Midsummer, then my cherries are ripe, and everybody 
wer mich ansiehet, verwundert sich iiber mich und spricht ; 
looking at me likes me, seems astonished, and says; 
Siehe dort, wie voll hanget der Kirschbaum, wie ein wunder 
" 0, look at that cherry-tree full of fruit ! what a wonderful 
(bare) Kreatur Gottes ist das ? Ein Weib empfahet, traget, 
creature of God ? A woman brings forth 

gebieret einen Sohn ; derselbe hat Leib und Seele, wachset, 
a son ; who has body and soul ; grows, 
wird stark und gross, stehet, gehet, lebet und webet ; fragest 
gets strong and tall, moves about full of spirit and life, and you 



133 



du, woraus solcher Sohn komme? So saget die Verminft 
ask, "Whence came he ? And reason, experience, 

Arzneikunst, Erfahrung, desgleichen auch Gottes "Wort : 
and the word of Grod will answer. 
Dieses Sohnes erster Anfang sei ein Embryo. Wie gehet das 
This was first but an embryo. How does this 
nun zu ? Dass aus einem kleinen embryo soil werden 
happen ? That out of an embryo, a man 

ein solcher lebendiger, verniinf tiger Mensch, so grosser Person 
full of life, gifted with reason, tall in person, 
nnd LLinge, so scharfes Yerstandes, so reicher Sinne ? Sanct 
and possessing so many senses should have proceeded ? St. 
Petrus, Paulus, Augustinus, Ambrosius, Johannes Huss, ich 
Peter, Paul, Augustine, Ambrosius, John Huss, I 
Doctor Martinus ; woraus sind diese alle worden ? 1st nicht 
Doctor Martin ? what are we made of ? Are we 
ihr erster Anfang ein embryo ? Aber wir sind Hanns Pfrie- 
not all particles ? No : I am afraid we are all like John Pfrie- 
men, die nichts verstehen noch merken wollen. Also ist dieser 
man, who will not see nor understand. Thus we see the 
Artikel von der Todten Auferstehung gewaltiglich erwiesen 
epistle of the resurrection of the dead is proved by the 
durch das Korn auf dem Pelde, durch den Kirschbaum und 
corn in the fields, the cherry-tree, and 

andere Biiume im Garten, und endlich durch unser eigen Leib 
other trees in the garden, and, finally, by our own life 
und Leben. "Wer es nicht glauben will, der fahre immer hin 
and body. Whoever will not believe it let him go, 
nnd bleibe ein grober Narr und Hanns Pfriemen. 
and remain a simpleton like John Pfriemen. 



We cannot pass over the period we are now allnd- 
ing- to without mentioning- the VolksHed/' which 
flourished throughout the 14th^ 15th and 16th cen- 
turies. Surprise has often been expressed that its 



134 



origin should date from a time^ when the storm rag"- 
ing" in the physical world^ had also spread its g-loom 
to the literary regions^ a g-loom little calculated to 
fill the heart with those g-lowing* sentiments^ and 
with that cheerfulness of mind which are the very 
source from which the people's poetry has always 
sprung". We must^ however^ recollect that if these 
essential conditions were wanting-^ others likely to 
favour and foster such tendencies existed ^ for it 
is precisely during* periods of national adversities 
that the ties of fellowship are drawn closer^ and that 
the heart long's for those sympathetic interchang-es 
from which it derives consolation and support. The 
German citizens^ at all times fond of social inter- 
course^ were then also in the habit of meeting- after 
the day's labour^ and from these evening- assemblies 
the German Volkslied/' which so to say is the 
joint production of all and the g-enuine expression of 
the people's weal and woe^ has unquestionably derived 
its orig-in. So g-reatly have these Lieder/' in 
which we hear as it were the pulsations of the na- 
tion's hearty been appreciated^ that the most cele- 
brated poets of our classical ag-e^ have founded upon 
them their most beautiful productions. The hymn 
also dates from the 14th century^ and it is remarkable 
that the didactic poetry of this period bears the cha- 
racter of the transition from the hig'her cultivated to 
the more popular style then prevailing*. 

Among- the historians or rather the writers of 
Chronics^ of that ag-e^ we mention Closener^ J acob 
Turing-er^, Johann Eiedesel^ Eschenloer;, Schilling*^ 



135 



Etterlin^ and the Emperor Maximilian author of 
the Weisskunig-/' a work containing* the history of 
the Emperor Frederic III. and himself; Heinrich 
Seusse^ Johann Tauler^ Herrmann v. Fritzlar^ Otto 
V. Passau^ and Johann Geiler g-ained at that period 
distinction as writers of theo]og"ical subjects. 

It is not my intention to dwell on a period of our 
literary history^ representing* its decline. The ex- 
clusive study of the classics^ so detrimental to our 
national literature^ had now become the order of the 
day. We do not undervalue the importance of these 
classical pursuits^ for the great deeds of the ancients^ 
have always kindled noble feeling-s in the hearts 
of students^ especially at an ag*e when it is so 
susceptible of all that is elevated and patriotic 3 but 
we object to these studies being- pursued to the ex- 
clusion of those branches of literature^ which in our 
prog-ressive ag-e have so essential a bearing- on the 
prosperity and happiness of mankind. We know 
how to appreciate the immortal works of the 
ancients^ which by creating- emulation among- admir- 
ing- generations^ tend to promote the spread of refined 
tastC; and foster progress 3 we know that the pa- 
triotic deeds of the Romans and Greeks^ nay^ even the 
mythological element that pervades their writings^ 
must prove a wholesome antidote to the excesses of 
either despotism or fanaticism^ provided that these 
classical writers are not used in an exclusive spirit^ 
but as an incentive to everything intellectual; refined 
and progressive ! 



136 



We ^hall conclude our remarks on the literary 
history of this period^ by pointing* out a characteristic 
feature in it ; I allude to the number of satirical 
writers^ for which it was especially disting-uished. 
Among- them we mention Eosenbliit^ Volz^ Hans 
Sachs^ Johann Fischart called Menzer^ Sebastian 
Brant and Thomas Murner. 

Fischart^ the author of the famous comical tale^ 
^^das g-liickhaft Schiff von Ziirich/' describes therein 
the adventures of the honourable members of the 
Ziirich Gunsmith club; during* their boat excursion 
to Strassburg* performed in one day. Among* other 
comical productions we cite Der Froschmausler/' 
by RoUenhag^en^ Der Ganskonig*/' and the " War 
between the Ants and Moths," bv Fuchs. " Das 
NarrenschifF/' by Sebastian Brant^ " Die Narrenbe- 
schworung*/' by Thomas Murner^ and Fischart's 

Garg-antua and Pantag*ruel/' after Babelais^ a work 
disting*uished for g*raphic description and eccentricity 
of style^ '-^ Der Bienenkorb" by the same writer^ in 
which he alludes in withering* lang*uag*e to the follies 
of the ag'e. We may say that the 16th century was 
essentially the ag*e of literary Merry Andrews. To 
these productions belong* Babel's Facetiae," 

Schimpf und Ernst/^ by J ohann Pauli, Wend- 
unmut/' by Kirchof^ Der Pfaffe von Kalenberg*/' 
by Frankfurter^ and finally ^^Till Eulenspieg*el/' 
containing* the quintessence of all the jokes of the 
travelhng* handicraftsmen. The book of the Schild- 
biirg*er " satirically alludes to the vulg*ar pride of the 



137 



chief citizens in the smaller towns : its contents were 
hig-hly relished by the upper classes of society. 

From this time also dates the leg*end of Doctor 
Faust^ a person initiated in all the mysteries of witch- 
craft. Erasmus Alberus and Burkhart Waldis 
were disting-uished as didactic poets^ Paul Spera- 
tuS; Mcolaus Decius^ Eber^ Herrmann^ Schalling*^ 
Eing'wald^ Helmbold^ Nicolai^ KnoU^ and Herberg-er^ 
as writers of relig"ious hymns^ Sebastian Franke 
and Johann Ag-ricola, for their collection of proverbs. 



Dramatic writing* was utterly neglected at this 
period^ for Hans Sachs and Ayrer made but poor 
attempts in this respect ; their ag"e^ it is true^ was 
hardly calculated to raise exalted feeling'Sj yet the 
past was g-lorious and stirring- enough to have 
furnished to the two most distinguished Latin poets 
of that time, Euricius Cordus and Cobanus Hessus^ 
ample materials in order to display their genius on 
a vast national field. 

Eeeerences. 

" Alte, hoch und niederdeutsclie Yolkslieder," by Ludwig 
Uhland. 

" Das Ambraser Liederbuch, vom Jahre 1582," by Joseph 
Bergmann. 

" Ein Osterspiel des fiinfzebnten Jahrbunderts," see Hoff- 
manns " Tundgruben." "Wackernagel, Mone and Ettmiiller have 
published some of the dramas of the middle ages. 

'* Kellers, Eastnachts-Spiele," contain extracts from Eosen- 
bliit's and Hans Eolz's comical sayings. 



138 



Hans Saclis and his works, written by himself. 
Haslein, Becker and Busching have published editions of 
Hans Sachs' writings. 

Pischart's Gliickhaft Schiff," by Karl Hailing. 
Brant's Narrenschiff," by Zarncke. 

" Der PfalFe von Kalenberg/' see v. d. Hagen's *' Narren- 
buch." 

" Das Buch vom Till Eulenspiegel," by Simrockand Lappen- 
berg. 

'*Das Buch von den Schildbiirgern," see v. d. Hagen's 
*' Narrenbuch." 

, " Die Sage vom Taust," v. Eaumer's " Historisches Taschen- 
buch." 

Widman, Pfizer, v. d. Hagen, Diintzer and Peter have writ- 
ten on the same subject. 

" Die Sage vom ewigen Juden," by Grrasse. Matthias Paris, 
an English author, wrote on the same subject towards the 
middle of the 13th century. 



I have here^ for the convenience of the student^ ar- 
rang^ed an alphabetical list of those writers^ who from 
that period up to the appearance of Klopstock^ are de- 
serving- of notice^ beginning* with one^ to whom Ger- 
many is much indebted for the perseverance with 
which he combated the prejudices of his time^ and 
the zeal he showed to infuse a better taste into our 
national literature. 

{) 



139 



ALPHABETICAL LIST OF AUTHOES. 

BoDMER (Johann^ Jacob), 1698 — 1783, was born in the 
village of Greifenberg, near Ziiricb. After having 
acquired a profound knowledge of the classical 
writers of antiquity, whose spirit he was anxious 
to infuse into the German language, then so much 
neglected, he devoted himself with ardour to the 
study of English and French literature, evincing 
his appreciation of the former by translating 
Milton^s "Paradise Lost" into German. For a 
considerable time he was engaged in a literary 
controversy with his contemporary Gottsched, who, 
although possessing a greater theoretical knowledge 
of our grammar, was inferior to him in taste, tact, 
and poetical genius. Among Bodmer's critical 
writings, his " Discurse der Mahler" and Kritische 
Briefe'^ exercised a refining influence on our lan- 
guage. " Die Nochaide,'^ twelve cantics written 
in German hexameters, is considered his best poem ; 
it is full of spirit and vigour, but rather deficient in 
purity of style and harmony. He continued his 
literary labours to a very advanced age, and died in 
the year 1783. 

Cramer (Joh. Andreas), 1723 — 1788. Distinguished as 
a lyric poet, and one of the reformers of our lan- 
guage at a time when it was much neglected. The 
style of his writings, chiefly of a solemn character, 
is terse, vigorous, and harmonious. His best odes 
are those addressed to David, Luther, and 
Melancthon; he also published a collection of 
sermons, gave a metrical version of the Psalms, 
and gained much praise by his translation of 
Bossuet's " Histoire IJniverselle.^^ 

Dach (Simon), 1605—1659. A writer of devotional 
poetry ; his most celebrated hymns are, " Ich bin 
ja Herr in deiner Macht," and " wie selig seid 
ihr doch, ihr Frommen.^' 

Flemming (Paul), 1609—1640. One of the worthy 
contemporaries and imitators of Opitz. His poems, 
perhaps inferior in harmony to those of his proto- 
type, are full of tenderness, and betray on the part 



140 



of the author a thorough knowledge of man, and a 
keen spirit of observation. The Merseburg edition 
of his poems of the year 1685, is considered the 
best. 

GaRTNER (Karl Christian), 1712 — 1791. Principal contri- 
butor to a periodical called " Die Bremer Beitrage/^ 
founded in the year 1742, in opposition to the 
partisans of Gottsched. His critical productions 
evince much acuteness and learning. 

Gellert (Christian Fiirchtegott) , 1715 — 1769. His 
writings, among which his fables occupy the most 
prominent place, are distinguished for correctness 
of expression and depth of feeling; though the 
style, compared with that of our modern writers, 
appears somewhat antiquated. Gellert was a popu- 
lar poet in the true sense of the word, and in order 
to show how much his writings, and principally his 
fables, were relished by the public, we mention the 
following fact. One fine morning, a sturdy Saxon 
peasant drives up to Gellert's door, in order to offer 
to him his homage, represented in the shape of a 
cartload of fir-wood. " I have come, Sir,'^ said our 
kind-hearted countryman, " to make you accept 
this wood as a small token of my gratitude; for I 
can assure you, Sir, that your fables have amused 
me and my wife Grete amazingly .^^ This proof of 
genuine and spontaneous kindness caused Gellert 
greater pleasure than all the honours he might have 
received from a higher source, and indemnified 
him for the unjust attacks of his numerous critics. 
His fables, although not possessing intrinsic lite^ 
rary merit, have always enjoyed a certain pri- 
vileged unassailability, respected even by the 
greatest and acutest critics, such as Gothe and 
Lessing. This is partly owing to the essentially 
popular character of his writings, but principally to 
the great respect and veneration in which he was 
held among his countrymen. Among his other 
literary productions, we mention the " Consolations 
for Valetudinarians,^' his " didatic poems,'' and a 
novel of much merit, called " The Swedish 
Countess.^^ His dramatic works are of a subordi- 
nate character. His fame as a writer being chiefly 



141 



identified with his fables, I have added the fol- 
lowing, which will convey to the reader the character 
of Gellert's style. 

DEE JUNGLINQ- UND DEE GEEIS, 
THE YOUTH AND THE OLD MAN. 
VON GELLERT. 
Br GELLEET. 

" "Wie fang ichs' an, um mich empor zu schwingen ?" 

*' How shall I manage to rise in the world ?" 

Eragt' einst ein Jiingling einen Grreis. 

Once asked a youth an old man. 

Der Mittel, fiug er an, um es recht hoch zu bringen, 

The meaus, he said, in order to obtain fame 

Sind zwei bis drei, so viel ich weiss. 

Are two or three in number, as far as I recollect. 

Sey tapfer ! Mancher ist gestiegen, 

Be brave. Many a man has risen 

"Weil er entschlossen in Gefahr 

Because he was determined in danger, 

Ein Peind von E-uh und vom Yergniigen 

An enemy of repose and of pleasure, 

Und durstig nach der Ehre war. 

And only thirsting for honour. 

Sey weise, Sohn ! dem Niedrigsten auf Erden 

Be wise, my son, the most humble upon earth 

Ists' oft durch A¥itz und durch Yerstand gegliickt. 

Has often by intelligence and skill got on so as 

Am Hofe gross, gross in der Stadt zu werden ; 

To become great, in town and at court ; 

Zu beiden macht man sich durch Zeit und Eleiss geschickt. 

By time and industry both may be effected. 

Dies sind die Mittel grosser Seelen, 

These are the means of superior minds ; 

Doch sind sie schwee ; ich will dir's nicht verhehlen. 

But they are difficult, I v/illingiy admit. 

" Ich habe leichteee gehofft." 

" I expected an easier mode." 

Gut, sprach der Grreis, wollt ihr ein leichtres wiihlen ; 
"Well, said the old man, if you want to choose something 
easier, 

So seyd ein Naee ; auch Narren steigen oft. 
Be a fool, for fools often rise very high. 

Gerhakdt (Paul), 1606—1676. One of the most fertile 
writers of hymns^ published nnder the name of 
Geistliche Lieder;" they are exquisite for elegance 



142 



of style^ depth^ and truly poetical feeling. Among 
them we mention '^Ein Lammlein geht nnd tragt 
die Scliuld/^ " Ich singe dir mit Herz und Mund/^ 
" O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden/' " Nun ruhen 
alle Walder/^ " BefieM du deine Wege." 

Gessner (Salomon), 1730 — 1788. Unsurpassed as Idyl 
writer, whose style breathes the purity of that world 
of innocence he so beautifully depicts, they are full 
of sunshine, tenderness; a vast landscape, painted 
in beautiful language. His pastoral novel, Daphne, 
is an imitation of " Longus,-*^ just as his Idyls had 
been suggested by ^'Theocritus." We also men- 
tion his " Death of Abel," his two dramatic poems, 
" Evand" and " Erastus," and his " Letters on 
Painting." 

Gleim (Joh. Wilhelm), 1719—1803. The literary Nestor 
of the eighteenth century, equally distinguished as 
writer and as philanthropist. His extreme kind- 
ness of disposition had gained him the byname of 
" Father Gleim." He devoted himself principally 
to didactic poems, among which " Halladat," or 
^' Das rothe Band," occupies the most prominent 
place; the first part of the poem treats on God, the 
second points out the duties of man towards his 
fellow creatures. A truly patriotic spirit pervades 
his " Lieder eines Grenadiers," in which the deeds 
of Frederic the Great are alluded to in glowing 
language. He also wrote numerous fables, epistles, 
and epigrams. 

GoTTscHED (Joh. Christoph), 1700 — 1744. The noisy 
representative of the Leipzig school, known for his 
long-sustained controversy with Bodmer, who repre- 
sented that of Ziirich. By his overbearing imperti- 
nence, he had constituted himself the literary 
dictator of his age, but his opponents ultimately 
succeeded in removing the self-created nimbus 
with which he had surrounded himself. His 
greatest merit consisted in being a sound gram- 
marian, but he was utterly deficient in that tact 
and refinement of feeling which distinguished his 
far superior literary opponent, Bodmer. Gottsched 
contributed largely to a periodical called ^^The 



143 



Critical Journal/^ of which he became subsequently 
the editor ; he lectured on the Theory of Literary 
Art," translated Addison^ s " Cato'^ into German, 
published in the year 1734, *'Erste Griinde der 
Weltweisheit/' and wrote several poems not posses- 
sing any literary merit. 
Gryphius (Andreas), 1616 — 1664. One of the repre- 
sentatives of the first Silesian school of writers. 
Among his literary productions, which are of a 
devotional character, we mention his celebrated 
Church hymn, " Die Herrlichkeit der Erden muss 
Staub und Asche werden," and his "Kirchhof- 
gedanken of his dramatic works, Leo der 
Armenier," ^« Das Gesangspiel," Das verliebte 
Gespenst," "Die geliebte Dornrose." The 
style of these latter productions is too florid and 
bombastic. 

Hagedohn (Friedrich von), 1708 — 1754. His lyric, histori- 
cal, and didactic productions are less distinguished 
for novelty and elevated style than for clearness of ex- 
pression, and terseness. A long sojourn in England 
had made him acquainted with the standard writers 
of that country, of whose works he gave several 
excellent translations in German. Of his prose 
works we mention Betrachtungen iiber Malerei,^^ 
of his poems the celebrated Johann der Seifen- 
sieder." 

Hallek, (Albrecht von), 1708 — 1777* At a very early 
age already he evinced his genius in those poetical 
effusions descriptive of the picturesque and soul- 
stirring sceneries of his native land ; they filled his 
ardent heart with that enthusiastic love for holy 
nature which pervades most of his productions, and, 
above all, his greatest poem, " The Alps." His 
elegy, " Auf den Tod Marianen^s," possesses great 
merit. If in his novels, such as " Usong," '^Alfred,'' 
" Fabius," and Cato," we find here and there 
stylistic imperfections, we must attribute them 
partly to the neglected state of our language at 
that time, partly to the fact of his being a Swiss ; 
this accounts for his phraseology not being always 
free from certain peculiarities inherent to the Swiss 
idiom. 



144 



KasTNER (Abraliam Gotthelf), 1719—1800. A distin- 
guislied mathematician, whose didactic poems pos- 
sess little less merit than his highly-appreciated 
epigrams. We cite here one directed against his 
critics : "Schnell wird ein Dichter alt, dann hat er 
ausgesungen; doch manche Critici die bleiben 
imraer Jungen.^^ (The word ^' Junge" has the 
double meaning of " youth/^ or " blockhead.") 
Kastner also enriched our literature with transla- 
tions from the English, French, Dutch, and Swedish 
standard writers. 

Lange (Samuel Gotthold), 17II — 1781. — The contem- 
porary of Bodmer, Breitinger, Hagedorn,and Kleist. 
He translated Horace, and published Hora- 
zische Oden," also '^Learned and Familiar Letters," 
containing his correspondence with the above-men- 
tioned authors. 

Lavater (Joh. Caspar), 1741 — 1801. His? highly im- 
pressive imagination did not always keep equal 
pace with his mental faculties, which were of the 
highest order. We are struck with the beautiful 
colorite he imparts to his writings ; all of which 
reflect the excellent heart of the author, and bear 
the stamp of sincerity. They are full of that which 
appeals to the heart and the imagination, but they 
do not satisfy the thinking reader, for they are de- 
ficient in depth. He was a kind of literary mes- 
meriser, among whose most relished productions we 
cite his " Physiognomical Fragments," " Views of 
Eternity," and " Schweizerlieder." 

Lichtenberg (Georg Christoph.) 1742 — 1799. The 
celebrated satirical writer and commentator of 
Hogarth's pictures. During his sojourn in England 
he published his " Briefe aus England," descriptive 
of the customs of a country, which could not 
but strike a keen observer like Lichtenberg. 
We mention his ^'Vermischte Schriften" and his 
Comico-Physiognomical Fragments,^' a satire, 
directed against the pervading theories of Lavater, 
the style of which is unsurpassed for polish, 
withering sarcasm, and graphic description. 



145 



LiGHTWER (Magnus Gottfried), 1719 — 1783. One of 
the most acute critical writers^ of whom Lessing 
remarks, that his productions possessed the rare 
merit of perfection, as soon as they were issued 
from his fertile mind, to such a degree, that the 
most sagacious critic conld not have detected a 
fault therein. 

He is known also as fabulist, didactic poet, and 
writer of novels. Among his works we mention 
"Das Eecht der Vernunft," '^Derkleine ToffeV 
"Der Vater und die drei Sohne," " Der Kobold," 
and Die seltsamen Menschen.'^ 

Ltscow (Christian Ludwig), 170I — 1760. An acute 
satirist, whose productions were much relished at 
the time they appeared, but have now lost their 
interest. His attacks were principally directed 
against Gottsched, and a certain Sivers and Phi- 
lippi, two obscure writers. His works have been 
published at Berlin by Karl Miiller. 

LoHENSTEiN (Daniel Caspar von), 1635 — 1683. The con- 
temporary of Hofmanns Waldau, and greatly ad- 
mired at a time when the foreign element ruled 
supreme over our literature. Lohenstein was one 
of the unworthy promoters of that anti-national 
tendency, of which his three dramas, " Ibrahim 
Easa,^^ " Agrippina,^^ and "Epicharis^^ bear wit- 
ness, for these productions are but the excrescences 
of our literature. 

LoGAU (Friedrich von), 1604 — 1655. Celebrated for his 
epigrammatic writings contained in a work pub- 
lished 1654. In graphical description, sentiment, 
conciseness, and ease, his style is considered supe- 
rior even to that of Opitz, Flemming, and Griphius, 
the representatives of the same school. Ramler 
and Lessing republished his best epigrams in 1759. 

MoscHEROscH (Haus Michel), 1600 — 1669. His princi- 
pal work, Gesichte Philanders von Sittenwald/^ 
contains a satirical allusion to the defects of his 
age ; he castigates therein the prevailing tendency 
for exclusively classical studies; but in doing so, 
he fills his work with so many citations from both 
classical and foreign writers, that the reproach 



L 



146 



directed against his contemporaries applies equall;^ 
to himself. His first work contains the " Siebeii 
Gesichte^' (visions) , " Schergenteufel," '^Welt- 
wesen/^ " Venusnarren," " Todtenheer/^ " Letztes 
Gericht/' " HoUenkinder/' and Hofschule." 

MosER (Justus)^ 1720 — 1794. An essay writer of dis- 
tinction. His " History of Osnabriick shows 
great research on the part of the compiler. He 
also was one of the few who opposed the anti- 
national tendencies of the writers of his age. 

MosHEiM (Joh. Lorenz.), 1695 — 1755. A distinguished 
divine and great classical scholar. His principal 
works are his " Ecclesiastical History/^ translated 
into English, " Moral Lessons deduced from Scrip- 
ture," and his " Sermons/' which are distinguished 
for elegance of style, and possess the highest 
literary merit. 

Mylius (Christoph.), I7l2 — 1754. A great naturalist^ 
and recommended by Haller to George II., in 
order to form part of a scientific mission, which 
that king wanted to send to America. He died in 
London. His writings were collected by Lessing, 
and published in Berlin, in the year 1754. 

Opitz (Martin), 1597—1639. Martin Opitz was one of 
the few writers of his time who endeavoured to 
infuse a fresh spirit into our literature ; his eiforts 
ought to be the more appreciated when we con- 
sider what an amount of moral courage it required to 
face the many obstacles impeding the patriotic and 
noble exertions of our zealous countryman. Opitz 
became the founder of what has been called subse- 
quently the Silesian school. His writings, although 
inferior in depth of conception and boldness of 
imagery, are remarkable for a correctness and 
vigour of style which excite our admiration. After 
having occupied for some time a professorship in 
the Gymnasium of Weissenberg, the Emperor 
Maximilian IT. conferred on him the rank of 
knighthood and the title of Martin Opitz von 
Boberfeld. He died of the plague in the year 
1639. Of his didactic poems, in which he chiefly 
excelled, we give the following : — 



147 



**at:f deit A^rrANa des 1621^'^^^ jahres." 

Wer dieses aite Jahr will recKt und wohl vollenden, 

Und nacK dem neuen sich zu guter Stunde wenden ; 

Der lege von sich weg der Eitelkeit Begier, 

Die nicht hieher gehort und lobe Grott mit mir. 

Es schwinge, wer da will, die sterblichen G-edanken 

Hoch iiber seine Kraft ! Ich will mit nichten wanken 

In dieser grossen Muth ; will preisen eifersvoU 

Den, dessen Tag kein Mensch ergriinden kann noch soil. 

Er hat aus lauter Mchts zum ersten wollen machen 

Durch seines Wortes Kraft den Ursprung aller Sachen, 

Den Klumpen der JS'atur : In dieser schweren Last 

Lag alles, was jetzt ist, vermischet eingefasst. 

Die Sonne fuhr noch niclit mit ihren raschen Pferdeu, 

Der Mond nahm noeh nicht ab, der schone Bau der Erden 

Hing noch nicht in der Luft, und das fischreiche Meer 

Lief noch mit seiner Muth nicht umdie Felder her. 

Das Land stund unbewohnt, die See war nicht zu schiffen^ 

Der Luft gebrach ihr Licht, und alle Dinge schliefen ; 

Es stritten wider sich, nass, trocken, warm und kalt, 

Der ungemachte Klos lag 6d' und ungestalt. 

Drauf kam der helle Schein, Hess nichts nicht mehr verborgen, 

Auf Gottes Anbefehl. Er hat den klaren Morgen 

Und Abend abgetheilt, und Weiss vom Schwarz getrennt, 

Das Einsterniss die Nacht, das Licht den Tag genennt ; 

Er hat rund um sich her das "Wasser ausgespreitet, 

Den kbstlichen Ballast des Himmels zubereitet, 

Den Donner, Eeif und Schnee, der "Wolken blaues Zelt, 

Ost, Norden, Siid und West in seinen Dienst bestellt. 

Ein jedes that sein Amt : die Strbme mussten fliessen 

An ihrem Ufer her, die Biiche sich ergiessen, 

Der frischen Brunnen Quell entspringet unverhofft 

Mit lieblichem Gerausch aus tiefer Eelsen Kluft. 

Die Thaler griineten, das Erdreich stund umgeben 

Mit Blumen, trug sein Obst, das Eeld die siissen Beben, 

Und Oel und reifes Korn, und Krauter mannigfalt ; 

Die Baume schlugen aus, die Hiigel wurden Wald. 

Es wuchse gleichfalls auch tief in dem Schoos der Erden 

Das, welches halben wir zum moisten Eeinde werden, 

Das Gold, der Berge Marck, Stahl, Silber, Kupfer, Blei, 

Der kostliche Demant, und Steine mancherlei. 

Die Sonne setzte sich auf ihren goldnen Wagen, 

Der Monde kam hervor, die Luft fing an zu tragen 

Das schone Eirmament, die Sterne gingen auf; 

Ein jeglicher bekam sein Ziel und rechten Lauf. 



148 



Das Meer ward auch besetzt, das Heer der rische schwommen 

In Wassern klein und gross; der Wallfisch musste kommen 

Und spielen auf der See, der Krebs kroch an das Land, 

Der Hecht ging auf den Grund, die Muschel in den Sand. 

Der Yogel leichtes Yolk hub emsig an zu nisten, 

Zu singen in der Luft, und in den stillen Wiisten ; 

Ein jedes kam woliin, und brauchte seine Rub, 

Die Turteltaube nahm den Weg zur TJlme zu. 

Die Schwalbe war bemiibt, ihr artlicbs Haus zu bauen, 

Der griine Papagei sicb selber zu bescbauen ; 

Der Adler scbwang sicb bocb, die schone Nacbtigall 

Liess boren ibre Kunst durcb Wald, Teld, Berg und Tbal. 

Es gingen Yieb und Wild vermiscbet obne Scbeuen, 

Das Scbaf trat bei dem Wolf, die Gemse bei dem Leuen ; 

Die Kub lief in das Gras, der Hirscb in seinen Wald, 

Sie lebten allesammt bei voUem Aufentbalt. 

Und dies aus Gottes Kraft. Nocb ein Tbier war zu macben, 

Der Yogt, der Oberberr und Pfleger dieser Sacben, 

Der Menscb ; den sebuf er aucb sein recbtes Ebenbild, 

Mit aller Herrlicbkeit vollkommen und erfiillt. 

Und da die andern Tbier ibr Antlitz niederdreben, 

Scbuf er den Menscben recbt, den Himmel anzuseben, 

Zu scbauen an das Ort, nacb dem er tracbten soli. 

Er stund gerecbt vor Gott, war aller Weisbeit voU. 

O welcber Menscb vermag den Menscben zu bescbreiben, 

Und kann so iiberbocb die engen Sinne treiben ! 

Komm du, und leite micb, zu reden mit Bedacbt, 

O Seele der Natur, du bast ibn aucb gemacbt ! 

O edles Wundertbier, zur Weisbeit auserkobren, 

YoU Geist, voll Luft, voU Gott, vom Himmel selbst gebobren, 

Du Herr, du Ebenbild und Auszug dieser Welt, 

Der unter sicb den Lauf der boben Sonne stellt ! 

Du weise Kreatur, du bast alsbald erkennet 

Gefliigel, Eiscb und Wald, ein jedes recbt genennet. 

Acb battest du docb nicbt so groblicb dicb beileckt, 

Und in der Siinden Wust die bobe Zier versteckt ! 

ISTun bast du, da du jetzt in diesem scbnoden Leben 

Mit deines Leibes Last und Kerker gebst umgeben, 

So feurigen Yerstand ; wie wird dein beller Scbein 

Nacb dieser Zeit so bocb, so ganz vollkommen seyn. 

Pyra (Jacob Emmanuel), 1714 — 1744. One of the oppo- 
nents of the Gottsched theories, who with his 
poetical genius would, without doubt, have attained 
a high position in our literature but for his early- 
death. His poems have been collected by Lange, 
and published at Ziirich, 1745. 



149 



Rabener (Gottliold Willielm), 1714 — 1771- A zealous 
promoter of our literature, to which he, with his 
contemporaries, Gellert and Gartner, wished to im- 
part a purer taste. His satirical letters, in which 
he attacks the infirmities of the age, show great 
powers of observation. In one of these letters he 
expresses the soundest views on education, and 
shows conclusively how it ought to be carried on in 
the universities. His advice in this respect, al- 
though given more than a century ago, might still 
prove useful to those entrusted with this important 
branch. Among his more entertaining writings we 
mention " Das Madchen vom ersten April,^^ " Das 
Deutsche Worterburch,^^ " Klims Todtenliste,^' 
and " Die Sprichworter des Pansa." 

ScHEFFLER (Johanu.), 1624 — 1677- Also known under 
the name of " Angelus Silesius,^^ was distinguished 
for his devotional poetry. In Ids Epistle,'^ called 
^' Der cherubinische Wandersmann," he propounds 
doctrines diametrically opposed to those of the 
Silesian school ; they are full of depth and poetical 
feeling, and possess so much literary merit, that in 
spite of some eccentricities, inherent to his style, 
Scheflfler must be classed among the most promi- 
nent evangelical lyric writers of the l7th century. 

ScHLEGEL (Joh. Elias), 17I8 — 1749. At a very early age 
already he showed a taste for dramatic subjects, by 
translating the " Electra of Sophocles," and '^Iphi- 
genia,^^ by Euripides, into German. His best 
dramas are, Die Trojanerinnen/^ Kanut," and 
Herrmann." Lessing speaks very highly of his 
comedies, of which we mention " Der Triumpf der 
guten Erau," and Die stumme Schbnheit." The 
literary merit of these productions is not great 
when compared with those of Lessing; but we 
must bear in mind the time at which they were 
written. 

ScHLEGEL (Joh. Adolf.), 1721—1793. The father of the 
great August Wilhelm von Schlegel. He wrote 
several hymns, an ode to Klopstock, and a poem, 
" Die Unzufriedenen," distinguished for purity of 
style and fluency of language. 



150 



Spee (Friedrich von), 1591 — 1635. His poems^ which are 
of a devotional character, breathe intense fervonr 
and piety ; he called them *' Trutznachtigall/^ and 
in fact they remind us of those pure sounds of 
nature we so much admire in the Minnelieder. In 
1631 appeared his "Cautio Criminalis." His 
"Trutznachtigall" has been republished by Clemens 
Brentano, Hiippe, and Junkmann. 

Spener (Philipp Jacob), 1635 — 1705. Remarkable for 
his theological writings : he was the head of a sec- 
tarian community which ultimately joined that of 
the United Brethren, a sect expelled from Moravia, 
and afterwards established at Herrnhutt, in Upper 
Lusatia. Among Spener^s writings we mention his 
" Sermons," " Insignum Theoria," and " Pia Desi- 
deria." 

Sturz. (Helfereich Peter), 1736 — 1779- In biographical 
composition he occupies a very prominent place, 
and evinces the elegance of his style in his princi- 
pal work, " Erinnerungen aus dem Leben des 
Grafen von BernsdorfF," also in the " Die Konigs- 
wahl," and " Briefe aus England und Frankreich." 

Uz (Johann Peter), 1720 — 1796. Distinguished for his 
versatility in literary composition ; his style being 
at once sunny like that of Gleim, and austere and 
solemn like that of Klopstock, iDy whom he was 
highly appreciated. His productions, among which 
his "Odes" rank highest, are remarkable for ele- 
gance and purity of language, and show at once 
that the author had thoroughly studied the classical 
writers of antiquity, of whom Horace seems to have 
been his principal favourite. Among his most 
celebrated Odes we cite, " An die Deutschen " and 
"Das bedrangte Deutschland." 

Weisse (Christian Felix), 1726—1804. One of the old 
pillars of our literature, and a practically useful 
labourer in the field of education. His exertions 
in this branch, for which the urbanity of his 
manners, his kindness and equanimity of temper 
especially fitted him, have been immense. His 
literary productions are remarkable for elegance 
and dignity of language. He was less successful in 



151 

his dramatic efforts. "Jean Galas/' a tragedy, 
forms perhaps the only exception in this respect. 
His principal literary fame he earned as author of 
"Der Kinderfreund." and " Brief wechsel der Fa- 
milie des Kinderfreundes.^' For a considerable 
time Weisse was chief editor of tlie Bibliothek 
der schonen Wissenschaften und Kiinste.'^ 

WiLLAMOw (Johann Gottlieb), 1777' Cultivated suc- 
cessfully the dithyramb, and introduced the dialogue 
into bis fables, by which more life is imparted to the 
subject. 

WiNCKELMANN (Johann Joachim), 17 1 7 — 1768. Of very 
humble origin, founder of the School of Art criti- 
cism. Having, after a long sojourn in Italy, devoted 
himself to his favourite study, he published his 
great standard work, Geschichte der Kunst des 
Alterthums," not only distinguished in a literary 
point of view, but evincing at the same time, on the 
part of the author, deep research, complete mastery 
over the subject, and the fervent enthusiasm with 
which he had pursued his favourite studies. 

ZACHAUia (Friedrich-Wilhelm), 1726—1777. A great 
admirer of the English standard writers, of whom 
Thomson was his favourite.* Zacharia^s '^^Tages- 
zeiteu./^ possess great literary merits ; nothing can 
excel the tenderness of feeling, and purity of lan- 
guage, in which he describes the evening^^ in this, 
his greatest effort, so worthy of his prototype. The 
glow of the setting sun on a beautiful summer eve 
is spread over his poem. He also wrote a parody 
on Pope's " Eape of the Lock,'' and a poem called 
" Der Eenommist.^^* Of his descriptive poems we 
mention Das Schnupftuch,'' much appreciated at 
the time he wrote it. 

ZiMMERMANN (Johanu. Georgvon), 1728 — 1795. A keen 
observer, who, with the soundest judgment and the 
most extensive literary knowledge, combined the 
rare faculty of giving utterance to his conceptions 
in language at once terse, lucid, and elegant. In 
this respect he occupies, probably, the first rank as 

* Slang term used at the German Universities for brag, 
bravado, bully, duellist. 



152 



stylistic writer. Some_, however, have reproached 
him for being paradoxical, and displaying at times 
a studied brevity of style. His greatest work, 
" Ueber die Einsamkeit/^ shows his mental faculties 
in all their brilliancy; it is a highly instructive 
work full of excellent maxims. The first part 
points out the instinct of sociality inherent to man, 
the second describes the charms of solitude. 



We must for the present interrupt our literary sketch. 
We have reviewed rapidly, I am afraid very rapidly, the 
various historical phases of the literature of Germany; 
we have endeavoured to penetrate those regions almost as 
impenetrable as Germania's virgin forests ; a glimpse of 
mental light has appeared here and there, feebly but stea- 
dily increasing, and shining forth so brightly in the Minne- 
gesang ; we have breathed a less genial atmosphere in the 
Meistergesang; clouds have then obscured the sky, to be 
followed by that mental chill which pervaded throughout 
the middle ages ; th^ benign rays have reappeared again 
with Luther, that glorious reformer of our language ; till at 
last the light, slowly but steadily struggling through the 
mists, has flashed in its brilliancy upon the eighteenth 
century with Klopstock, the first of that host of literary 
stars which, if health permit, I shall endeavour to point 
out to the reader in the second part of my review. 



THE END. 



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